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FIVE  CMBINAJ,  PRINCIPLES 


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THE 


Five  Cardinal  Principles 


CHRISTIAN  CHURCH  DEFINED. 


EDITED  WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION 

BY 
CARRSVILLK,    VA. 


RALEIGH,  N.  C.  : 
Christian  Board  of  Publication. 

1886. 
Presses  of  Edwards,  Broughton  &  Co. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


Having  for  long  years  seen  and  felt  the 
necessity  of  defining  fully  the  cardinal  prin- 
ciples of  the  Christian  Church  before  the 
thinking  minds  of  an  intelligent  public,  I 
have  at  last  determined  to  undertake  the 
work.  Its  necessity  may  be  seen  in  every 
local  Church,  and  in  almost  every  commu- 
nity. 

Individuals  studying  the  Cardinal  Princi- 
ples of  the  Christian  Church  arc  continually 
calling  for  explanations. 

People  of  other  religious  organizations 
often  ask  such  questions  as — "  Why  do  you 
assume  the  name  Christian}" 

"  In  appropriating  that  name  to  your  de- 
nomination, do  you  not  unchristianizc  all 
others  ?" 

"  Ought  not  all  God's  people  to  wear  that 
name  ?" 

This  little  volume  proposes  in  a  Christian 
spirit  to  answer  these  and  like  questions. 
Sometimes  we  are  accused  as  a  denomina- 
tion, by  friends  and  enemies,  as  having  no 
test  of  church  membership  or  church  fellow- 


IV  INTRODUCTORY. 

ship.  We  claim  that  Christian  character  or 
vital  piety  is  the  test  of  church  membership, 
as  a  faithful  perusal  of  these  pages  will  show. 
The  right  of  private  judgment  in  matters  of 
religion  is  often  called  in  question,  and  of- 
tener  than  otherwise  is  misunderstood. 

The  true  position  of  the  Christian  Church 
upon  the  subject  is  fully  defined.  That  defi- 
nition is  herein  given.  We  have  lost  much 
by  not  defining  fully  our  principles  to  the 
world.  We  have  failed  to  give  a  reason  for 
the  principles  that  we  hold.  Consequently 
hundreds  have,  after  conversion  to  God, 
sought  homes  in  other  religious  organizations, 
because  they  did  not  fully  comprehend  our 
principles.  Some  say  that  we  allow  too 
much  latitude,  others  say,  not  enough  ;  hence 
the  necessity  for  defining  the  true  position 
of  the  Christian  Church  upon  these  leading 
principles. 

In  order  that  the  work  might  not  be  con- 
sidered as  the  voice  or  production  of  one 
man,  but  as  the  voice  of  the  church,  I  have 
selected  and  secured  the  valuable  services  of 
five  of  the  most  pious  and  able  ministers  in 
the  church  to  aid  me  in  the  preparation  of 
this  work.     These    brethren   were    selected 


INTRODUCTORY.  V 

from  the  church  North  and  South,  so  that 
there  is  nothing  of  a  sectional  character  in 
it.  To  strengthen  this  point,  it  has  been 
endorsed  by  the  General  Convention  of  the 
Christian  Church,  the  highest  ofificial  body  of 
the  church  in  the  Southern  States. 

Hoping  that  it  may  serve  the  end  and  fill 
the  mission  for  which  it  was  intended,  it  is 
cheerfully  and  respectfully  submitted  to  the 
kind  attention  of  an  intelligent'  and  think- 
ing public. 

M.  L.  Hurley. 

Carrsville,  Va.,July,  i8-86. 


CONTENTS. 


I. 

THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST  IS  THE  ONLY  HEAD 

OF  THE  CHURCH. 

B>  Rev.  James  Maple,  D.  D.,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 

IL 
THE  NAME  CHRISTIAN. 

By  Rev.  W.  W.  Stalev,  A.  M.,  Suffolk. Va. 

III. 
THE  SCRIPTURES  £)F  THE  OLD  AND  NEW.TES. 
TAMENT  A  SUFFICIENT   RULE  OF  FAITH 
AND  PRACTICE. 

By  Rev.  J.  P.  Watson,  Troy,  Ohio. 
IV. 
CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER  THE  TEST. 

By  Rev.  J.  W.  Osborn,  Ph.  D.,  Swansea,  Mass. 

V. 
PRIVATE  JUDGMENT,  THE  RIGHT  AND  DUTY 

DUTY  OF  EVERY  BELIEVER. 

Sermon   by  Prof.    Martyn    Summerbei.l,   M.    A.,    of 

New  York  City. 


THE 


Five  Cardinal  Principles 

OF   THE 

Christian  Church  Defined. 


CHRIST    THE    HEAD    OF    THE 
CHURCH. 


By  Rev.  James  Maple,  D.  D.,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 


Ages  before  Christ  was  born  into  the 
world  the  Father  said  of  him,  "  Behold,  I 
have  given  him  for  a  witness  to  the  people, 
a  leader  and  commander  to  the  people." 
Isa.  55  -.4.  There  we  have  a  clear  statement 
of  one  of  the  relations  that  Christ  sustains 
to  his  church.  It  is  represented  under  the 
symbol  of  an  army,  and  he  is  its  commander. 
All  the  rules  and  regulations  for  its  govern- 
ment originate  with  him.  He  is  its  head. 
God  "  hath  put  all  things  under  his  feet,  and 
given  him  to  be  the  head  over  all  things  to 
the  church."     He  has  appointed    him   the 


10  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

supreme  ruler  in  the  church.  The  media- 
torial kingdom  of  Christ  is  the  gift  of  the 
Father  as  the  recompense  of  his  humiliation 
and  suffering.  Paul  states  this  connection 
clearly  in  the  following  passage,  which  at 
the  same  time  gives  us  a  sublime  view  of 
the  exalted  state  of  the  Redeemer,  and 
shows  the  unlimited  extent  of  his  domin- 
ions:— Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  which  was 
also  in  Christ  Jesus:  who,  being  in  the  form 
of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal 
with  God  :  but  made  himself  of  no  reputation, 
and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant, 
and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of-  men  :  and 
being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  hum- 
bled himself,  and  became  obedient  unto 
death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross.  Where- 
fore God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and 
given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every 
name  :  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things 
in  earth ;  and  things  under  the  earth, 
and  that  every  tongue  should  confess 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory 
of  God  the  Father."  Phil.  2:5 — 11.  From 
this  and  other  passages,  we  learn  that  noth- 
ing is  exempt  from  his  authority.  He  com- 
mands the  armies  of  heaven  ;  he  claims  the 


Christ  the  Head  of  the  Church.         1 1 

inhabitants  of  the  earth  as  his  subjects  ;  he 
rules  over  the  spirits  of  darkness ;  he  is  the 
Lord  of  the  dead  and  the  living.  (Rom. 
14:9.) 

The  proper  object  of  Christ's  mediatorial 
kingdom  is  the  church,  and  our  subject  em- 
braces his  relation  to  it.  It  is  the  peculiar 
object  of  his  care,  and  for  the  sake  of  it  all 
power  in  heaven  aqd  earth  was  given  unto 
him.  By  his  personal  ministry,  and  through 
the  work  of  his  apostles,  he  founded  the 
church.  The  Christian  Church  is  the  work 
of  Christ.  He  established  it.  He  said  to 
Peter  "  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock 
I  will  build  my  churchy  Matt.  16:18.  For 
this  reason  it  is  called  the  Son  of  man's 
kingdom.  "  The  Son  of  man  shall  send 
forth  his  angels,  and  they  shall  gather  out  of 
his  kingdom  all  things  that  offend,  and  them 
which  do  iniquity."  Matt.  13:41.  It  is  also 
Christ's  household.  (Matt.  10:25.)  The 
members  of  the  church  are  given  to  Christ 
by  the  Father  out  of  the  world,  and  are  sent 
by  him  into  the  world.  "  Thou  hast  given 
him  power  over  all  flesh,  that  he  should 
give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  thou  hast 
given  him."  John  17:2.  "Father,  I  will 
that  they  also,  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be 


12  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

with  me  where  I  am."  John  17:24.  Christ 
is  the  head  of  the  church,  because  he  built 
it. on  the  Rock  of  his  Divinity,  out  of  mem- 
bers given  him  by  the  Father  out  of  the 
world. 

The  word  head  has  several  significations 
in  the  scriptures,  besides  its  natural  one, 
which  denotes  the  head  of  man.  It  is  some- 
times used  in  the  Bible  to  signify  the  whole 
man  :  "  Blessings  are  upon  the  head  of  the 
just,"  Prov.  10:6;  that  is,  upon  their  persons. 
God  says  of  the  wicked,  "  I  will  recompense 
their  way  upon  their  head."  Ezek.  9:10. 
It  sometimes  signifies  a  chief  or  capital  city  : 
"The  head  of  Syria  is  Damascus."  Isa.  7:8. 
It  denotes  a  chief  or  principal  member  of 
society :  "  The  Lord  will  cut  off  from  Israel 
head  and  tail."  "  The  ancient  and  honour- 
able, he  is  the  head."  Isa.  9:14,  15.  Head 
also  means  one  who  hath  rule  and  pre-emi- 
nence over  others.  Thus  God  is  the  head 
of  Christ ;  as  mediator,  he  receives  all  his 
dignity  and  authority  from  him.  Christ  is 
the  spiritual  head  of  the  church,  both  in  re- 
spect to  eminence,  power,  and  influence; 
for  he  communicates  life,  strength,  knowl- 
edge, and  influence  to  every  believer.     Paul 


Christ  the  Head  of  the  Church.         13 

says,  "  But  I  would  have  you  to  know,  that 
the  head  of  every  man  is  Christ."  i  Cor. 
11:3.  "The  stone  which  the  builders  re- 
fused is  become  the  head  stone  of  the  cor- 
ner." Ps.  118:22.  It  was  the  first  in  the 
angle,  whether  it  was  disposed  at  the  top  of 
that  angle  to  adorn  and  crown  it,  or  at  the 
bottom  to  support  it.  Thus  Christ  is  the 
life,  strength  and  beauty  of  the  church. 

As  the  supreme  head  of  the  church  Christ 
established  the  ordinances  to  be  observed  in 
it.  He. has  appointed  but  two  ordinances — 
baptism  and  the  sacred  supper.  The  insti- 
tution of  the  supper  is  described  by  Matthew 
26:26 — 28.  "  Jesus  took  bread,  and  blessed 
it,  and  brake  it,  and  gave  it  to  the  disciples, 
and  said,  Take,  eat ;  this  is  my  body.  And 
he  took  the  cup,  and  gave  thanks,  and  gave 
it  to  them,  saying,  Drink  ye  all  of  it ;  for 
this  is  my  blood  of  the  new  testament,  which 
is  shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of  sins." 
"This  do  in  remembrance  of  me."  Just 
before  his  ascension  to  heaven  he  commis- 
sioned his  disciples  and  sent  them  out  "  into 
all  the  world  "  to  preach  his  gospel.  "  Go 
yc  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 


14  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Matt.  28:19. 
These  are  the  only  ordinances  that  he  auth- 
orizes in  his  church,  and  no  man,  or  number 
of  men,  has  any  right  to  appoint  others. 
The  authority  of  Christ  over  the  church  is 
exclusive  of  the  authority  of  man.  Councils 
may  assemble  to  consult  about  the  best 
methods,  and  to  form  plans  for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  world,  and  the  promotion  of  the 
spiritual  interest  of  the  church  ;  but  they 
can  neither  increase  nor  diminish  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  Lord's  house.  Christ's  au- 
thority is  supreme,  and  man's  duty  is  to 
obey.  "  Let  us  hear  the  conclusion  of  the 
whole  matter  ;  Fear  God,  and  keep  his  com- 
mandments :  for  this  is  the  whole  duty  of 
man.  For  God  shall  bring  every  work  into 
judgment,  with  every  secret  thing,  whether 
it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  evil.     Eccl.  12:- 

13.  H- 

Christ  is  the  supreme  lawgiver  in  the 
church.  Human  legislation  has  no  place  in 
it.  "  One  is  your  master,  even  Christ." 
Matt.  23:8.  "  He  is  thy  Lord  ;  and  worship 
thou  him."  Ps.  45:11.  He  holds  supreme 
authority  over  the  consciences  and  lives  of 
men.     The  duty  of   the  church  is  to  submit 


Christ  the  Head  of  the  Church.         i  5 

to  his  authority ;  and  it  is  not  done  unless 
his  word  is  received  as  the  only  rule  of  faith 
and  practice,  and  every  thing  which  is  prac- 
ticed in  religion  be  exactly  conformable  to 
his  commands.  He  spoke  by  divine  au- 
thority. He  said,  "The  words  that  I  speak 
unto  you  I  speak  not  of  myself:  but  the 
Father  that  dwelleth  in  me,  he  doeth  the 
works."  John  14:10.  It  is  by  the  words  of 
Christ,  that  man  is  to  be  judged  in  the  last 
day.  "  He  that  rejecteth  me,  said  Christ, 
"  and  receiveth  not  my  words,  hath 
one  that  judgeth  him  :  the  word  that  I  have 
spoken,  the  same  shall  judge  him  in  the  last 
day."  John  12:48.  The  word  of  Christ  is 
the  supreme  law  of  the  church,  and  the  rule 
of  life.  This  law  is  perfect,  and  meets  all 
the  emergencies  of  life.  "The  law  of  the 
Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul."  Ps. 
19:7.  "But  be  not  ye  called  Rabbi:  for 
one  is  your  Master  even  Christ ;  and  all  ye 
are  brethren."  Matt.  23:8.  Christ  is  "  King 
of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords";  and  his  word 
is  the  supreme  law  of  his  kingdom.  The 
citizens  of  his  kingdom  all  stand  on  the 
same  level.  "All  ye  are  brethren,"  and  one 
has  no  right  to  lord  it  over  another.  "  There 
is  one  body,  and  one  Spirit,    even  as  ye  are 


1 6       ■       Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

called  in  one  hope  of  your  calling  ;  one  Lord, 
one  faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father 
of  all,  who  is  above  all,  and  through  all,  and 
in  you  all."     Eph.  4:4 — 6. 

The  Christian  owes  allegiance  to  Christ 
alone,  and  is  responsible  to  him  only  for  his 
faith  and  conduct.  No  man  nor  number  of 
men,  has  any  right  to  come  betAveen  his 
conscience  and  Christ,  and  say  what  he  must 
believe  and  do  in  order  to  be  saved.  This 
is  a  matter  of  conscience  between  him  and 
his  Saviour,  and  every  man  must  settle  this 
matter  for  himself.  Christ  is  the  sovereign 
and  the  judge.  He  makes  the  laws  of  his 
kingdom,  and  sits  in  decision  upon  the  char- 
acter of  his  subjects.  Hence  Paul  says, 
"  Wherefore  we  labor,  that,  whether  present 
or  absent,  we  may  be  accepted  of  him.  For 
we  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment 
seat  of  Christ ;  that  every  one  may  receive 
the  things  done  in  his  body,  according  to 
that  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or 
bad."  2  Cor.  5:9,  10.  The  supremacy 
claimed  by  the  Pope,  is  an  invasion  of  the 
royal  prerogative  of  Christ ;  and  he  has  in- 
truded himself  into  this  office,  and  assumes 
the  power  to  change  the  ordinances,  repeal- 
ing the  laws  of   Christ,  and  extending  his 


Christ  the  Head  of  the  Church.         \  7 

jurisdiction  over  the  visible  and  the  invisible 
world.  He  "  exalteth  himself  above  all  that 
is  called  God,"  and  is  worshipped  ;  and,  as 
God,  he  "  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God, 
showing  himself  that  he  is  God."  (2  Thess. 
2:4.) 

Christ  is  the  supreme  head  of  his  church 
because  he  is  the  author  of  the  spiritual  life 
of  all  its  members.  Paul  says  he  "  is  our 
life."  Col.  3:4.  He  is  "  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  life."  John  14:6.  "  The  first  man 
Adam  was  made  a  living  soul ;  the  last  Adam 
was  made  a  quickening  spirit."  i  Cor.  15:4.5. 
"  For  as  the  Father  raiseth  up  the  dead,  and 
quickeneth  them  ;  even  so  the  Son  quick- 
eneth  whom  he  will."  John  5:21.  Christ 
has  the  power  to  impart  life,  and  "  by  him 
were  all  things  created,  that  are  in  heaven, 
and  that  are  in  earth."  Col.  i:i6.  It  is 
through  him  that  sinners  are  quickened  from 
moral  death,  and  made  spiritually  alive. 
"For  we  are  his  workmanship,  created  in 
Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works."  Eph.  2:10. 
Christ  illustrates  this  beautifully  when  he 
says,  "  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches." 
John  15:5.  As  the  branch  receives  its  life 
and  fruitfulness  from  the  vine,  so  the  Chris- 
2 


l8  Pive  Cardinal  Principles. 

tian  draws  his  spiritual  life  and  fruitfulness 
from  Christ.  He  is  the  source  of  spiritual 
life  to  the  church.  "  In  him  was  life  ;  and 
the  life  was  the  light  of  men."  John  1:4. 
Hence  it  is  said,  "  He  giveth  life  unto  the 
world."  John  6:33.  He  summed  up  the 
whole  matter  when  he  said,  '*  I  am  the  resur- 
rection and  the  life."  John  11:25.  Hence 
he  is  called,  "The  Prince  of  life."  Acts  3: 15. 
Prince  here  is  used  in  the  sense  of  author, 
ox  giver  of  life.  Christian  life  is  not  merely 
an  imitation  and  following  of  Christ,  but  a 
living,  constant  union  with  him.  "Abide 
in  me,"  said  Christ,  "  and  I  in  you.  As  the 
branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself,  e.xcept  it 
abide  in  the  vine  ;  no  more  can  ye,  except 
ye  abide  in  me."  John  15:4.  Such  is  the 
vital  communion  between  Christ  and  his 
people,  and  this  caused  Paul  to  use  such  ex- 
pressions as  "  fallen  asleep  in  Christ  "  (i  Cor. 
15:18.),  "  I  knew  a  man  in  Christ."  {2  Cor. 
15:2.),  "  I  speak  the  truth  in  Christ  "  (i  Tim. 
2:7.),  and  many  others.  God  sent  his  only 
begotten  Son  into  the  world,  that  we  might 
live  through  him.  (John  3:16.)  Thus  we 
see  that  Christ  is  the  source  of  the  spiritual 
life  to  his  church,   and   therefore  its  head. 


Christ  the  Head  of  the  Church.         19 

This  truth  is  illustrated  in  his  relation  to  the 
church  as  its  light.  "In  him  was  life ;  and 
the  life  was  the  light  of  men."  Joha  1:4. 
Light  is  the  symbol  of  truth,  and  Christ  is 
the  light  of  the  world  in  the  sense  that  he 
is  the  great  Teacher  through  whom  the  way 
of  life  and  salvation  is  revealed  to  man. 
Hence  he  says,  "  I  am  come  a  light  into  the 
world,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  me 
should  not  abide  in  darkness."  John  12:46. 
"  I  am  the  light  of  the  world  :  he  that  fol- 
loweth  me  shall  not  walk  in  darkness,  but 
shall  have  the  light  of  life."  John  8:12.  As 
the  one  infallible  source  of  spiritual  truth 
Christ  is  called  "  The  truths  John  14:6. 
As  the  moon  borrows  her  light  from  the 
sun,  because,  of  herself,  she  has  little  or  none 
at  all,  even  so  the  church  can  have  no  light 
of  herself,  but  doth  receive  her  light  from 
the  Son  of  God.  The  promise  is,  "  But  unto 
you  that  fear  my  name  shall  the  Sun  of 
righteousness  arise  with  healing  in  his  wings  ; 
and  ye  shall  go  forth,  and  grow  up  as  the 
calves  of  the  stall."  Mai.  4:2.  The  church 
is  a  school  of  divine  philosophy  of  which 
Christ  is  the  Head,  and  from  him  alone  we 
are  to  learn  the  truth.     Other  teachers  may 


20  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

assist  us  in  attaining  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  but  he  is  the  only  infallible  teacher; 
and  his  word  settles  all  controversy.  It  is 
the  end  of  strife.  He  has  made  no  mistakes. 
He  is  not  only  "  holy,  harmless,  undefiled, 
separate  from  sinners";  but  is  absolutely 
perfect  in  knowledge.  "  In  whom  are  hid 
all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge." 
Col.  2:3. 

All  things  are  made  subject  to  Christ  that 
he  may  use  them  for  the  good  of  the  church. 
God  "hath  put  all  things  under  his  feet,  and 
gave  him  to  be  head  over  all  things  to  the 
church."  Eph.  1:22.  This  was  done  in 
reference  to  the  church,  or  for  its  benefit 
and  welfare.  The  universe  is  put  under  the 
authority  of  Christ  that  he  may  make  "  all 
things"  tributary  to  the  interests  of  the 
church.  All  the  forces  of  the  physical  uni- 
verse are  subject  to  Christ,  and  he  makes 
them  serve  the  church.  The  kings  and 
rulers,  kingdoms  and  nations  of  earth,  are 
subject  to  his  authority  ;  and  he  has  so  con- 
trolled them  that  they  have  not  been  able 
to  injure  his  church.  The  very  means  that 
they  used  to  crush  it  he  has  made  to  con- 
tribute   to  its    advancement    and    spiritual 


Christ  the  Head  of  the  Church         2 1 

growth  in  the  end.  The  angels  in  heaven 
are  under  his  authority,  and  employed  by 
him  to  minister  to  the  wants  of  the  **  heirs 
of  salvation."  (Heb.  1:14.)  The  fallen 
angels  are  under  his  control,  and  he  will  not 
permit  them  to  injure  his  church.  "  The 
gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it." 
Matt.  16:18. 

What  an  empire  is  this!  Heaven  and 
earth— the  church  militant — the  church  tri- 
umphant— all  the  mighty  forces  of  the  phy- 
sical universe — angels,  saints  and  seraphs. 
At  his  command  the  sweeping  storm  and 
rollingbillows  were  hushed,  demonscrouched 
in  terror  and  the  grave  yielded  its  prey ! 
"  Upon  his  head  are  many  crowns."  He  is 
made  "  Head  over  all  things,  to  his  church," 
Yes,  over  ^/Z  things,  from  the  smallest  to  the 
greatest.  He  holds  the  stars  in  his  right 
hand,  and  preserves  every  star  in  its  spirit- 
ual orbit.  With  such  a  Head  the  church  is 
safe. 


22  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

THE  NAME  CHRISTIAN  TO  THE  EX- 
CLUSION OF  ALL  PARTY  OR  SEC- 
TARIAN NAMES. 


By  Rev.   W.    W.    Staley,    A.    M.,    Pastor  of   Christian 
church,  Suffolk,  Va. 


God  has  only  one  church.  "  Upon  this 
rock  I  will  build  my  church."  Math.  i6:  i8. 
Christ  is  the /<?//;?<y<7//^;/ of  this  church,  "For 
other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that 
is  laid  which  is  Jesus  Christ."  i  Cor.  3:11. 
He  is  also  the  head  of  this  church.  "  He  is 
the  head  of  the  body,  the  church."  Coll. 
1:18.  "Which  is  the  head,  even  Christ." 
Eph.  4:15.  The  scriptures  employ  various 
figures  to  represent  this  church.  It  is  spoken 
of  as  2,  family.  '•  Of  whom  the  whole  family 
in  heaven  and  earth  is  named."  Eph.  3:15. 
As  a  building.  "  In  whom  all  the  building 
fitly  framed  together  groweth  unto  a  holy 
temple  in  the  Lord."  Eph.  2:21.  Unity 
is  a  cardinal  principle  in  the  gospel  church. 
It  is  a  body  with  many  members,  a  vine  with 
many  branches.  But  it  is,  in  scripture  lan- 
guage, always  one  church  with  Christ  as 
foundation  and  head.     Christ   is,  moreover, 


The  Name  Christian.  23 

the  life  of  the  church.  "  In  Him  was  life  ; 
and  the  life  was  the  light  of  naen."  John 
1:4.  "  For  the  bread  of  God  is  He  which 
Cometh  down  from  heaven,  and  giveth  life 
unto  the  world."  John  6:33.  As  one  life 
pervades  the  church,  all  believers  are  bound 
into  one  body  in  Christ.  This  principle  ^'\\\ 
be  admitted  by  all  who  accept  the  gospel. 
But  the  interpretation  of  this  principle  some 
may  strain.  The  multiplicity  of  parts  in  the 
gospel  church  is  not  denied  ;  but  this  multi- 
plicity, in  their  true  relations,  never  breaks 
the  bond  of  unity  that  makes  the  church 
one.  It  rather,  like  the  multitudinous  waves 
of  the  ocean,  makes  it  the  one  grand  church 
of  Christ.  The  great  cables  that  hold  great 
steamers  to  the  wharf  are  made  of  thousands 
of  small  strands,  but  they  are  so  worked  and 
twisted  together  that  they  become  one  in 
holding  the  ship  to  the  shore.  The  church 
of  Christ  is  wrought  into  one  grand  union 
of  strain  and  life  to  hold  the  world  to  God. 
Whatever  weakens  this  interwoven  unity 
jeopardizes  the  salvation  of  men.  All  other 
questions  merge  into  the  stream  of  fraternal 
love,  through  which  the  united  heart  of  the 
gospel  church  flows  out  into  the  boundless 


24  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

ocean  of  God's  love.  If  the  churches  were 
closer  to  each  other,  they  would  be  closer  to 
their  God. 

With  the  principles  laid  down  and  the 
spirit  indicated  above,  the  name  worn  by  the 
Christian  church  is  here  explained  or  defined. 

Names,  as  applied  to  religious  organiza- 
tions, are  all  derivatives.  Their  value  must, 
therefore,  be  determined  by  the  root  from 
which  they  are  derived.  This  principle  seems 
to  be  fair.  It  is  not  enough  that  they  grow 
into  large  significance  and  wide  reputation 
among  men,  laying  the  foundation  for  his- 
toric periods,  and  embracing  many  within 
their  pale.  The  name  should  carry  with  it 
the  origin  of  this  gospel  church,  and  ever 
teach,  in  part,  this  salvation  through  Christ 
to  the  world.  The  name  is  a  part  of  this 
church.  All  inheritance  comes  in  part  by 
reason  of  name.  The  children  of  God  are 
"joint  heirs  with  Christ."  Rom.  8:  17.  Budd- 
hists derive  their  name  from  Buddha  who 
was  born  near  the  end  of  the  sixth  cen- 
tury before  Christ.  Mohammedans  derive 
their  name  from  Mohammed  who  was  born 
toward  the  close  of  the  sixth  century  after 
Christ,     Roman  Catholics  derive  their  namq 


The  Name  Christian.  25 

from  the  historic  fact,  that  about  the  fifth 
century  the  Bishops  of  Rome  claimed  to 
speak  with  supreme  authority.  Very  early 
in  the  Christian  church  the  word  Catholic 
{Gr.  Katholikos),  universal,  had  been  em- 
ployed to  denote  the  world-wide  offer  of  sal- 
vation by  Christ  in  contrast  with  the  particu- 
larism of  the  Jews.  Hence  it  came  to  be 
used  by  ecclesiastical  writers  to  denote  the 
church  as  the  depository  of  the  doctrine  of 
universal  salvation  in  contrast  with  heretical 
sects.  Since  the  Roman  bishops  claimed  to 
speak  with  supreme  authority,  the  term  Ro- 
man Catholic  church  has  been  used.  Lu- 
therans derive  their  name  from  Martin  Lu- 
ther, the  great  Reformer  of  the  sixteenth 
century.  Calvinists  derive  their  name  from 
John  Calvin  who  was  born  at  Noyon.  in  Pic- 
ardy,  July  10,  1509.  Baptists  derive  their 
name  from  the  views  they  hold  respecting 
the  ordinance  of  baptism.  This  denomina- 
tion had  its  origin  no  doubt  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  when  there  was  a  great  awakening 
of  religious  thought  and  feeling.  Metho- 
dists derive  their  name  from  the  system  in- 
troduced at  first  into  Wesleyan  societies. 
Members  of  the  University  of  Oxford  gave 


26  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

Wesley  and  his  society  the  name  of  "  Meth- 
odists," in  allusion  to  the  Methodici,  a  class 
of  physicians  at  Rome  who  practiced  only 
by  theory.  This  name  thus  given  a  century 
and  a  half  ago  came  at  length  to  be  worn 
with  pride  by  this  large  and  growing  denomi- 
nation. Other  names  might  be  mentioned  and 
their  derivation  traced  out,  and  those  already 
given  could  be  enlarged  upon  with  profit. 
The  length  of  this  chapter  forbids,  however, 
anything  more  than  enough  to  establish*the 
principle  on  which  the  name  Christian  is 
founded.  There  is  no  purpose  to  depreciate 
grand  old  names  of  historic  value,  or  de- 
nominations whose  numbers  and  activity 
bless  two  hemispheres.  The  aim  here  is 
only  to  search  out  in  a  plain  way  the  signifi- 
cance of  names  as  applied  to  religious  bodies, 
and  to  discover,  if  possible,  whether  there 
is  only  one  true  name  embracing  all  that 
should  be  worn  by  the  church,  to  the  ex 
elusion  of  all  party  or  sectarian  names.  The 
references  are  based  on  historic  testimony 
and  serve  to  illustrate  the  thought  which  is 
here  presented.  These  bodies  are  all  proud 
of  their  respective  names.  Their  names  are 
significant   and   fully  reveal   their  meaning. 


The  Name  Christian.  27 

They  are  true  exponents  of  what  they  are 
intended  to  signify.  There  has  grown  up 
with  these  names  not  only  historic  greatness, 
but  truest  attachment,  and  tenderest  afifec- 
tion.  The  good  and  the  great  have  lived 
under  their  shadow,  and  died  in  their  com- 
munion, and  their  graves  are  honored  with 
marble  shafts  and  bedecked  with  roses. 
Great  theologies  have  grown  up  around 
their  peculiar  tenets  and  literature  is  full  of 
theif  thoughts  and  their  labors.  If  the  sleep- 
ing dust  of  their  martyrs  could  speak,  a  thou- 
sand tongues  would  make  earth  ring  with 
their  praises.  This  is  all  true  ;  and  the  world 
is  better,  and  richer,  and  happier,  and  grander 
for  its  being  true.  But  for  all  that,  none 
nor  all  of  these  names  combined  set  forth 
clearly  and  fully  the  origin  of  Christianity 
to  men.  None  of  them  in  itself  shows 
the  relation  of  the  church  to  Christ.  The 
only  name  that  can  do  this  is  Christian. 
This  name  presents  clearly  to  men  the  ori- 
gin of  religion  in  the  gospel  church,  and  the 
relation  of  the  church  to  its  head,  even 
Christ,  "of  whom  the  whole  family  in  heaven 
and  earth  is  named."  Eph.  3:15.  Perhaps 
all  will  agree  that  this  is  the  only  name  that 


28  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

can  set  forth  these  two  relations,  and  yet 
they  may  deny  that  this  is  necessary  or  that 
it  was  so  ordained  of  God.  Reverence  for 
old  things  should  never  prevent  the  recep- 
tion of  truth.  The  attention  of  the  reader 
is,  therefore,  directed  to  this  point:  What  is 
the  use  of  a  name,  as  applied  to  the  people 
of  God?  The  object  of  a  name  is  to  dis- 
tinguish the  church,  or  the  people  of  God, 
from  the  world  and  not  to  distinguish  them 
from  each  other.  The  names  referred  to 
above  and  all  kindred  names  serve  to  distin- 
guish religious  societies  from  each  other, 
more  than  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
world.  They  serve  very  well  to  distinguish 
denominations  from  each  other,  and  some- 
times to  hold  them  apart  in  love  and  labors. 
The  name  should  be  such  as  to  distinguish 
the  people  of  God  from  the  world,  and  to 
show  their  relation  to  Christ.  In  this  para- 
mount demand  these  names  seem  to  be  in- 
sufficient, tending  rather  to  division  and 
strife  than  to  union  and  love.  Paul  seems 
to  be  speaking  on  this,  when  he  says  to  the 
Corinthians:  "For  while  one  saith,  I  am  of 
Paul ;  and  another,  I  am  of  Apollos ;  arc  ye 
not  carnal?"     i  Cor.  3:4.     The  apostles  in- 


The  Name  Christian.  20 

sisted  that  the  disciples  should  be  attached 
to  Christ  and  not  to  them.  "A  man  can 
receive  nothing,  except  it  be  given  him  from 
heaven."  John  3 :  27.  Besides,  if  these 
names  are  the  true  ones  for  the  church,  then 
centuries  rolled  away  before  she  was  prop- 
erly named.  None  of  these  names  goes  back 
to  the  time  of  Christ.  Either  the  name  makes 
no  difference,  or  these  denominations  wear 
wrong  names.  The  rigJit  to  wear  the  name 
Christian  turns  on  the  above  condition. 
Some  religious  teachers  hold  the  two  follow- 
ing positions : 

1.  That  the  name  Christian  is  common  to 
all  denominations,  and  that  no  one  body  has 
a  right  to  wear  the  name  to  the  exclusion  of 
others. 

2.  That  this  name  is  not  of  divine  ap- 
pointment. 

They  think  that  men  have  the  right  to 
choose  a  name  for  the  society  which  they 
compose.  They  claim  this  as  one  of  the 
rights  of  the  church.  In  other  words,  they 
claim  the  right  of  all  evangelical  churches 
to  adopt  names  expressive  of  their  peculiar 
tenets  and  practices.  They  tiiink  that  God 
has  left  this  matter  with  the  church.    Those 


30  Pive  Cardinal  Principles. 

who  claim  tne  right  of  the  church  to  name 
herself  must  deny  tiiat  any  name  has  been 
given  by  divine  authority.  Consistency  re- 
quires this.  This  they  do.  The  logical  con- 
sequences of.  these  principles  are  such  as  to 
lead  into  difficulty,  when  compared  with  the 
attitude  of  these  men  toward  the  Christiaiis. 
They  hold  that  men  have  the  right  to  name 
the  church,  deny  that  any  name  is  from 
heaven,  and  then  deny  the  Christians  the 
right  to  call  themselves  by  that  precious 
name.  Are  not  the  rights  of  all  men  in  mat- 
ters of  religion  the  same?  If  the  right  of 
choice  in  the  matter  of  name  belongs  to  all 
other  denominations,  it  belongs  also  to  those 
who  chose  to  call  themselves  Christians. 
The  ages  in  their  cumulative  stores  of  wis- 
dom and  liberty  are  as  open  unto  them  as 
unto  others.  The  same  rights  of  personal 
choice  belong  to  them  that  belong  to  other 
branches  of  the  church.  If  God  has  not 
given  a  name  for  His  church,  and  men  have 
the  right  to  choose  a  name,  then  those  who 
call  themselves  Christians  have  the  same 
right  to  do  so,  that  others  have  to  choose 
the  names  they  respectively  wear.  This  con- 
clusion  is    inevitable    from  the  premises  of 


The  Name  Christian,  %  1 

those  who  hold  that  the  Christians  have  no 
right  to  this  name,  exclusive  of  all  sect 
namesr  The  Christians  claim  equality  of 
rights  in  matters  of  religion,  with  all  other 
denominations,  but  not  superiority  over 
them  ;  and  upon  the  principles  which  others 
have  laid  down  they  wear  this  one  name,  of 
right.  If  there  was  no  other  ground  upon 
which  to  stand,  the  Christians  would  stand 
on  an  equality  with  all  other  evangelical  de- 
nominations. 

This  name  has  the  sanction  of  usage,  his- 
tory, and  the  scriptures. 

Luther,  in  his  celebrated  Theses,  uses  the 
term  Christian  whenever  he  refers  to  the 
true  children  of  God  ;  and  Tetzel,  in  his  re- 
ply, begins  every  proposition  recorded  by 
D'aubigni  with  that  name.  This  shows  that 
this  name  was  important  in  their  view,  and 
had  in  it  a  significance  pregnant  with  value  to 
the  church.  It  is  dominant  in  the  minds  of 
all  who  truly  comprehend  the  gospel  as 
taught  by  Christ.  But  in  the  minds  of  many 
it  is  kept  like  conscience,  under  restraint. 
Many  keep  conscience  in  subjection  to  pub- 
lic sentiment  or  custom,  and  do  not  allow 
this  moral  sense  to  exercise  its  rights.    They 


J2  Pive  Cardinal  Principles. 

do  the  same  in  matters  of  christian  belief 
and  thought.  They  allow  purely  church  in- 
fluences to  smother  their  personal  convic- 
tions in  matters  of  religious  thought.  Such 
are  not  free.  Now  the  gospel  of  Christ  sets 
men  free.  It  removes  the  darkness  and  re- 
veals the  truth  that  is  to  save  men.  It  lib- 
erates the  captive  and  sets  the  prisoner  free. 
"  If  the  Son  therefore  shall  make  you  free,  ye 
shall  be  free  indeed."  John  8  :  36  Bunyan 
calls  his  best  character  in  his  "  Pilgrim's  Pro- 
gress," '*  Christian."  Now  Bunyan  was  a  Bap- 
tist, and  to  have  followed  out  his  church 
aflfiliations  He  should  have  called  his  leading 
character  "  Baptist."  But  that  would  not 
answer  his  purpose.  It  would  have  circum- 
scribed the  usefulness  of  his  great  book.  It 
would  have  robbed  the  book  of  its  universal 
appreciation,  and  limited  its  sphere  of  doing 
good.  But  he  laid  aside  sectarian  bias  and 
gave  the  hero  of  this  famous  allegory  that 
title  which  clearly  sets  forth  to  men  the 
deep,  settled  view  of  his  own  heart  as  to 
name,  and  the  world  has  accepted  the  work 
of  his  pen.  In  every  gospel  sermon  where 
men  plead  with  men  to  turn  from  their  sins 
unto  Cod,  the  appeal  from  all  evangeical  pul- 


The  Nairn:  Christian.  33 

pits,  is  to  become  "Christians."  The  invi- 
tation to  become  a  christian  is  invariably  and 
without  qualification  made  by  gospel  minis- 
ters in  their  appeals  to  the  unconverted.  It 
is  only  when  men  are  urged  to  join  the 
church,  that  denominational  adjectives  are 
used.  Usage  sanctions  this  name.  It  comes 
out  like  stars  in  the  rifts  of  clouds,  uncon- 
scious of  itself,  and  revealing  what  is  behind 
all  sectarian  titles.  There  is  a  common 
sense  of  things,  all  bathed  in  true  religious 
life,  that  shows  convictions  covered  by  de- 
nominational restraints. 

History  sustains  the  claim  to  this  name  as 
the  proper  title  for  the  church  of  Christ. 
Profane  writers,  who  rank  as  standard  au- 
thority, when  they  refer  to  the  history  of 
the  gospel  church,  call  it  the  Christian 
church.  Josephus,  Ant.  18:3 — ^^3,  employs 
this  language  :  "  Now,  there  was  about  this 
time  (A.  D.  33)  Jesus,  a  wise  man,  if  it  be 
lawful  to  call  Him  a  man,  for  He  was  a  doer 
of  wonderful  works, — a  teacher  of  such  men 
as  receive  the  truth  with  pleasure.  He  drew 
over  to  Him  both  many  of  the  Jews,  and 
many  of  the  Gentiles.  He  was  [the]  Christ ; 
and  when  Pilate,  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
3 


34  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

principal  men  amongst  us,  had  condemned 
Him  to  the  cross,  those  that  loved  Him  at  the 
first  did  not  forsake  Him,  for  He  appeared 
to  them  alive  again  the  third  day,  as  the  di- 
vine prophets  had  foretold  these  and  ten 
thousand  other  wonderful  things  concerning 
Him  ;  and  the  tribe  of  Christians,  so  named 
from  Him,  are  not  extinct  at  this  day."  As 
an  example  of  profane  historians  I  quote  the 
first  sentence  in  Gibbon's  Decline  and  Fall 
of  the  Roman  Empire  :  "  In  the  second 
century  of  the  Christian  Era,  the  empire  of 
Rome  comprehended  the  fairest  part  of  the 
earth,  and  the  most  civilized  portion  of  man- 
kind." That  is  the  idea  that  pervades  the 
history  of  civilized  nations  of  nineteen  cen- 
turies. Christianity  is  the  one  religion  that 
engages  the  attention  of  the  historian  and 
calls  forth  words  of  praise  from  most  skep- 
tical pens.  Ecclesiastical  history  treats  the 
subject  as  the  history  of  the  Christian  church. 
There  starts  with  Christ  a  new  period  in  the 
history  of  the  world,  and  it  gathers  strength 
as  it  comes  on  from  Bethlehem,  with  the  babe 
over  whose  birth  the  heavenly  host  sang 
"  Glory  to  God  "  and  to  whom  the  wise  men 
bowed  and    presented    their  gifts  of    gold, 


The  Name  Christian.  35 

frankincense,  and  myrrh  ;  on  by  Gethsem- 
ane,  and  Calvary,  and  Joseph's  new  tomb, 
and  the  ascension,  down  through  the  blood 
of  martyrs  and  brotherly  love  to  this  present 
age.  This  history  in  its  life  and  its  blessing 
for  the  nations  has  had  its  power  in  this 
grand  fact.  Whatever  divides  this  idea  into 
fragments  Weakens  the  saving  force  of  this 
new  life.  -The  church  in  its  aggregate  life 
and  work  ought  to  keep  this  one  idea  be- 
fore the  world.  There  is  no  saving  influence 
outside  of  this.  Take  this  out  of  any  de- 
nomination and  there  would  not  be  enough 
left  to  save  one  soul.  But  some  might  ask, 
"  Why  is  it  then  that  you,  as  a  people,  do 
not  succeed  better  and  save  more  souls?" 
The  answer  is  plain.  The  large  bodies 
around  us  are  not  in  sympathy  with  us. 
They  look  upon  us  as  the  Jews  did  upon 
Christ.  The  Jews  prevented  Christ  from 
doing  what  He  might  have  done  with  their 
sympathy  and  prayers.  The  doctrine  of 
Christ  required  the  surrender  of  many  forms 
of  Jewish  thought  and  practice.  The  posi- 
tion held  by  the  Christians  pleads  for  a  sur- 
render of  sectarian  names.  Men  are  un- 
willing to  recognize  such  a  plea.     But  such 


36  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

a  surrender  involves  the  loss  of  no  principle 
that  has  in  it  any  gospel  power  or  saving 
force.  If  all  denominational  titles  were  sur- 
rendered, there  would  still  remain  the  same 
fundamental  doctrines  of  this  religion,  and 
the  same  demands  of  gospel  life.  All  that 
would  be  lost  in  such  a  course  would  be 
wordly  honor,  and  fame.  It  rftight  be  the 
great  Hudson  losing  her  identity  in  the  At- 
lantic ;  but  she  would  be  all  the  purer  for 
that.  That  is  what  all  need  to  lose  them- 
selves in  Christ.  All  thought,  and  love,  and 
work  of  God's  people  should  be  for  Christ 
and  the  salvation  of  souls.  But  with  many 
gospel  ministers  they  do  more  work  for  their 
church  than  for  the  head  of  the  church. 
They  refer  all  their  labors,  all  their  thoughts, 
all  their  efforts  to  this  one  aim  of  building 
up  the  interests  of  their  church.  God  de- 
mands of  us  more  than  this. 

This  inquiry  would  be  incomplete  if  it 
failed  to  refer  this  matter  to  the  word  of 
God.  That  is  the  source  of  all  things  to  the 
church.  It  is  a  revelation  of  God's  will  to 
man.  It  is  higher  in  authority  than  usage, 
or  history,  or  the  acutcst  moral  sense.  It  is 
final  as  authority  for  man  in  all   matters  of 


The  Name  Christian.  37 

faith  and  practice.  This  word  seems  to 
sanction  the  name  Christian,  and  this  ac- 
cords with  what  has  been  written  before. 
The  comment  of  Matthew  Henry  on  Ephe- 
sians  3:15,  sustains  this  view  :  "The  univer- 
sal church  has  a  dependence  upon  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ;  of  wJioin  the  zvhole  family  in 
Jieaven  and  earth  is  namcd^  The  Jews  were 
wont  to  boast  of  Abraham  as  their  father ; 
but  now  Jews  and  Gentiles  both  are  denom- 
inated from  Christ;  so  some.  While  others 
understand  it  of  the  saints  in  heaven,  who 
wear  the  crown  of  glory,  and  saints  on  earth, 
who  are  going  on  in  the  work  of  grace  here. 
Both  the  one  and  the  other  make  but  one 
family,  one  household  :  and  from  Him  they 
are  named  Christians,  as  they  really  are 
such  ;  acknowledging  their  dependence  upon, 
and  their  relation  to,  Christ."  The  prophet 
Isaiah,  in  chapter  43:7,  in  speaking  of  the 
church  and  the  relation  of  her  members  to 
God  Himself,  says:  "even  everyone  that  is 
called  by  My  name."  Dr.  Adam  Clark  in 
his  comments  on  Acts  11:26,  says:  "It  is 
evident  they  had  the  name  Christian  from 
Christ  their  Master;  as  the  Platonists  and 
Pythagorians    had  their    names    from  their 


38  Five  Cardinal  Priticiples.  . 

masters  Plato  and  Pythagaros.  Now,  as 
these  had  their  names  from  those  great  mas- 
ters, because  they  attended  their  teaching, 
and  credited  their  doctrines;  so  the  disci- 
ples were  called  Christians,  because  they 
took  Christ  for  their  teacher,  crediting  his 
doctrines,  and  following  the  rule  of  life  laid 
down  by  him.  We  are  told  in  first  Peter 
this:  "  If  any  man  suffer  as  a  Christian,  let 
him  not  be  ashamed  ;  but  let  him  glorify 
God  on  this  behalf."  (i  Peter  4:16.)  In  the 
notes  on  Acts  1 1:26,  by  Jacobus,  there  is  the 
following:  ''Christians.  Now  that  Jews 
and  Gentiles  were  to  be  gathered  into  one 
church  and  communion,  it  was  ordered  in 
God's  providence,  that  the  body  of  believers 
should  receive  a  nezv  name,  not  national, 
but  universal,  and  equally  good  for  all  peo- 
ple and .  all  times;  where  there  is  neither 
Greek  nor  Jew,  circumcision  nor  uncircum- 
cision,"  &c.,  (Col.  3:11.)  The  fact  is  here 
recorded  that  the  Disciples  (or  followers 
of  Christ,)  were  first  called  Christians  here 
at  Antioch,  where  the  first  Gentile  church 
was  established.  This  name  could  not  have 
been  assumed  by  themselves,  because  it  is 
used  only  twice  in  the  New  Testament  be- 


The  Name  Christian.  39 

sides  this,  and  in  a  way  to  imply  that  it  was 
a  term  of  reproach  and  for  which  they  v/ere 
called  to  suffer,  (i  Peter  4:16.  ch.  26:28.) 
Nor  could  it  have  been  given  to  them  by 
the  Jews,  for  they  would  not  thus  have  ac- 
knowledged the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  by  ap- 
plying the  term  Christ  (or  Messiah)  to  His 
disciples.  It  was  doubtless  given  to  them 
by  the  heathen  as  a  suitable  name  for  dis- 
tinguishing this  body  who  were  more  and 
more  prominent  as  followers  of  Christ,  and 
would  naturally  be  known  by  a  name  that 
should  signify  their  relation  to  Him.  The 
term  itself  seems  to  be  rather  of  Roman 
than  Greek  origin.  Yet  it  was  doubtless 
also  by  the  Divine  ordainment  that  this 
should  come  to  be  their  name,  and  the  word 
signifying  frt'/A^</,  elsewhere  means  called  by 
God,  or  by  Divine  direction.  (Math  2;  12, 
22;  ch.  10:22;  Heb.  8:5;  11:7.)  This  was 
more  than  ten  years  after  Christ  left  the 
earth.  They  accepted  this  name,  however 
reproachfully  intended,  and  they  gloried  in 
it  ;  and  often  when  threatened  before  magis- 
trates their  only  answer  was,  "  /  am  a  Chris- 
tian." The  church  at  Antioch  was  the  first 
Gentile  church.     The  gospel  of   Christ  was 


40  Fh>e  Cardinal  Principles. 

to  embrace  all,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles.  Per- 
haps this  is  why  this  name  was  not  given 
when  the  first  converts  were  made.  The 
universal  purpose  of  the  gospel  was  to  be 
settled  before  the  church  was  named.  God's 
purposes  have  often  been  carried  forward  by 
what  was  sin  for  men.  The  treatment 
Joseph  received  from  his  brethren  was 
wrong,  and  yet  the  purpose  of  God  was  ful- 
filled in  this  man.  "  But  as  for  you,  ye 
thought  evil  against  me  ;  but  God  meant  it 
unto  good,  to  bring  to  pass,  as  it  is  this  day, 
to  save  much  people  alive."  (Gen.  50:20.) 
Judas  sinned  in  betraying  his  master  and 
yet  it  did  not  prevent  the  purpose  of  God. 
"  But  all  this  was  done,  that  the  Scriptures 
of  the  prophets  might  be  fulfilled."  (Matt. 
26:56.)  Let  it  be  granted,  then,  that  this 
name  was  given  by  those  who  had  no  pur- 
pose of  doing  service  for  the  church  in  An- 
tioch,  yet  no  doubt  it  resulted  in  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  Divine  purpose  concerning  His 
church.  When  Paul  made  his  defence  be- 
fore Agrippa  a  deep  impression  was  made 
upon  the  king.  Said  he  to  Paul :  "  Almost 
thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a  Christian^  And 
Paul  replied :    "  I   would  to  God,   that    not 


The  Name  Christian.  41 

only  thou,  but  all  that  hear  me  this  day, 
were  both  almost  and  altogether  such  as  I 
am,  except  these  bonds."  (Acts  26:28.) 
Agrippa  felt  the  force  of  Paul's  argument, 
and  still  he  was  unwilling  to  accept  Christi- 
anity. He  could  not  deny  and  he  would 
not  accept.  But  this  shows  that  he  knew 
the  term  that  distinguished  God's  people. 
The  King  felt  it  and  used  it  and  Paul  in- 
dorsed it.  This  name  has  ever  been  the  one 
despised  of  men.  And  yet  it  ever  presses 
its  claims  upon  honest  hearts.  It  asserts  its 
significance  in  all  pulpil  appeals,  in  gospel 
work,  in  the  history  of  twenty  centuries,  and 
in  the  word  of  God.  The  gospel  is  to  the 
nations  life  and  peace.  The  Christ  in  His 
official  capacity  is  all  in  all  to  the  church. 
Through  Him  the  family  of  God  is  saved. 
From  Him  the  family  of  God  is  named. 
Around  Him  the  elect  shall  gather  and  re- 
joice in  their  eternal  home.  Before  Him 
they  shall  stand  arrayed  in  robes  of  white. 
At  His  feet  they  shall  cast  their  glittering 
crowns.  They  shall  be  like  Him,  for  they 
shall  see  Him  as  He  is.  They  shall  reign 
with  Him  in  heaven,  and  He  will  be  the 
light  thereof,     It  will  be  the  same  family  ii] 


42  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

heaven  that  Christ  has  upon  earth.  There 
will  be  no  change  in  their  character  or  their 
name.  All  that  men  can  hope,  is  to  enter 
heaven  as  they  leave  the  world.  There  is  no 
work  nor  device  in  the  grave.  As  the  tree 
falls,  so  it  must  lie.  Heaven  is  the  final 
dwelling-place  of  the  family  of  God.  No 
man  can  come  unto  the  Father,  but  by 
Christ.  That  name  which  relates  the  par- 
doned to  Christ,  teaches  the  world  that  Jesus 
IS  the  Christ,  distinguishes  the  people  of 
God  from  the  world,  removes  the  obstacles 
in  the  way  of  brotherly  love,  makes  all  the 
good  in  religion  grow  out  of  its  head,  re- 
veals the  origin  and  end  of  religion  to  men, 
preserves  the  only  name  given  among  men 
whereby  we  must  be  saved,  is  the  one  most 
worthy  as  a  title  for  the  church.  This  name 
is  not  claimed  as  the  property  of  one  society; 
it  is  claimed  that  it  is  the  name  by  which 
all  should  be  called.  The  conclusion  already 
reached  prepares  for  one  of  two  views: 

1,  That  if  a  name  has  been  given  by  Di- 
vine direction  for  God's  church,  then  that  is 
Christian.  There  is  no  other  that  has  such 
claim  to  Divine  authority. 

2.  That  if  God  approves  names  chosen  by 


The  Name  Christian.  43 

men,  then  a  society  of  believers  has  the 
right  to  adopt  this  name  of  their  own  choice. 
The  name  is  claimed  therefore  by  right 
under  2  and  by  divine  authority  under  i. 
All  other  names  will  be  unworthy  a  place  in 
heaven.  This  name,  Christian,  would  be 
appropriate  in  that  bright  realm.  When  the 
sun,  and  moon,  and  stars  shall  fade  out  in 
obscurity,  the  Lamb  of  God  will  light  the 
kingdom  wherein  dwell  the  redeemed — when 
names  now  luminous  with  a  brightness  that 
outshines  the  sun  and  stars  shall  fade  away 
in  the  distance,  and  revolutions  and  historic 
changes  shall  bring  in  others  in  the  centuries 
yet  unborn,  the  name  Christian  will  shine 
on  with  a  steady  and  increasing  brilliance 
that  shows  the  shining  way  to  God.  Hu- 
man hearts  will  cling  to  it,  and  human  love 
will  gather  around  it,  and  conscience  will 
own  it,  and  history  will  embalm  it,  and  God 
will  defend  it,  because  it  binds  the  church 
to  Himself. 


44  /^?W  Cardinal  Principles. 

RULE  OF  FAITH  AND  PRACTICE. 


The  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  a  Sufficient 
Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  By  Rev.  J.  P.  Watson, 
Troy,  Ohio. 


The  Church,  like  the  world,  was  built  by 
Jesus  Christ.  This  Church,  too,  was  built 
on  Himself,  for  He  declares  "  On  this  Rock 
will  I  build  My  Church."     (Matt.  16:  18.) 

The  ApostTes,  through  the  ability  which 
inspiration  afforded  them,  are  the  expoun- 
ders and  illustrators  of  the  Church  in  its 
historic  fact  and  its  general,  moral  doctrine. 
Christ  and  the  Apostles  appealed  to  the  Old 
Testament  Scriptures  as  the  law  and  testi- 
mony for  the  confirmation  of  what  they 
taught  and  did.  Following  this  rule,  the 
Scriptures  of  the  New  Testainent,  the  au- 
thority of  which  is  largely  established  by 
the  teachings  of  the  Old  Testament,  should 
be  and  have  been  universally  appealed  to 
by  the  Church  of  Christ,  for  the  confirma- 
tion of  its  teachings  and  practices. 

Than  the  Holy  Scriptures,  no  chart  and 
no  compass  have  been  given  the  Church  of 
Qur  Lord,  from  heaven.     That    the  Church 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  45 

needs    other    chart    or  compass,    would  be 
very  difficult  of  proof. 

And  yet,  in  the  face  of  this  apparent  truth, 
very  many  denominations,  embracing  very 
great  multitudes  of  honorable  and  intelli- 
gent Christian  scholars  within  them,  virtu- 
ally, and  to  our  judgment  emphatically,  con- 
tend that  alone  and  unsupplemented  by, 
human  additions  or  expositions,  summaries 
or  declarations,  the  Scriptures  are  not  a  suf- 
ficient rule  of  faith  and  practice.  While 
making  this  anomalous  and  astounding  dec- 
laration, both  by  word  of  mouth  and  practi- 
cal illustration,  they  hold  forth  to  us  a  little 
book,  denominated  a  creed,  discipline,  or 
articles  of  faith,  saying,  ".this  book  is  a  suf- 
ficient rule  of  faith  and  practice."  Of 
course  they  would  not  say,  "  This  alone, 
without  the  Scriptures,  is  sufficient."  But 
if  we  grant  them  this  benefit,  they  cannot 
honestly  and  will  not  boldly  affirm,  if  their 
action  in  formulating  the  creed  means  any- 
thing, that,  "The  Scriptures  alone  are  suffi- 
cient." At  best,  their  position  is,  "  The 
Scriptures  alone,  as  prepared  by  Jesus  and 
his  Apostles,  are  insufficient ,  but  with  the  ad- 


46  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

dition  or  association  of  the  human  and  unin- 
spired creed,  they  become  sufficient." 

This  is  most  wonderful  honor  for  the  creed, 
but;  who  can  fail  to  see  that  the  declaratron 
and  action  are  wonderfully  dishonoring  to 
the  Scriptures? 

I^  this  action,  for  aught  we  can  see  to 
the  contrary,  the  creed,  as  a  rule  and  guide 
in  faith  and  practice,  is  elevated  above  and 
pronounced  superior  to  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
that  law  and  testimony  of  heaven.  By 
this  action,  the  Scriptures  are  not  simply 
relegated  to  a  second  place  by  all  the  creeds, 
but  their  inferiority  or  secondary  impor- 
tance, is  proclaimed  by  cacJi  of  the  creeds. 

The  devotees  o^no  one  creed  will  say  of 
any  other  creed  than  their  own,  "  it  comes 
nearer  to  the  Bible  than  our  own."  The 
most  exalted  rank  is  held  by  each,  in  the  es- 
timation of  its  particular  devotees,  so  that 
the  Scriptures  occupy  at  best,  the  loivest  rank 
as  a  rule  and  guide.  There  are  more  than  two 
hundred  creeds  extant,  as  the  professions  of 
as  many  divisions  of  the  general  Church  and 
the  Scriptures  are  pronounced  inferior  to 
each  and  all  of   them.     If   any   one  creed  is 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  47 

admitted  to  be  better  than  the  Scriptures 
alone,  who  shall  say  that  each  of  all  is  not  ? 

Admitting  the  wisdom  and  correctness  of 
o»r  creed-friends,  we  are  forced  to  the  con- 
clusion, that,  while  Prophets  and  Apostles, 
supplemented  in  their  endeavors  by  the 
present  and  inimitable  Christ,  all  failed'mis- 
erably  in  formulating  a  sufficient  rule  and 
guide  in  faith  and  practice — the  very  end 
apparently,  which  they  sought  to  attain. 
Any  and  every  uninspired  conclave  of  feeble 
men  have  proceeded  with  ease  and  accom- 
plished this  work  with  facility. 

Although  immensely  in  the  minority  and 
confessedly  inferior  in  scholarship,  the  Chris- 
tians are  forced  to  take  issue  with  this  posi- 
tion and  conclusion. 

In  this  discussion  we  shall  seek  to  show  : 

1.  That  the  Creed  as  a  rule  and  guide 
IS  Insufficient. 

2.  That  the  SCRIPTURES  as  such  a  rule  and 
guide  ARE  Sufficient. 

The  insufficiency  of  the  creed  is  shown, 
I.  By  the  uumber  of  them  extant. 
They  who  formed  the   second  creed   pro- 
claimed   thereby    the     insufificiency    of    the 
first,  while  each  subsequent  formation  was  a 


48  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

proclamation  of  the  insufficiency  of  the  pre- 
ceding. 

Surely  no  one  is  so  well  qualified  to  speak 
of  the  insufficiency  of  the  creed  as  those 
who  have  tried  them,  and  if  by  the  process 
of  the  new  formations  all  preceding  forma- 
tions are  pronounced  insufficient,  it  would 
be  presumption  to  ask  implicit  faith  and 
confidence  in  the  new  and  untried  one. 

Great  Britain  boasts  of  150  varieties  of 
Protestantism,  each  one  of  which  has  a 
creed  differing  from  all  others.  No  one  body 
of  these  people  thought  the  Scriptures  an 
adequate  rule  and  guide,  and  no  one  feels 
that  the  creed  of  either  other  body  would 
prove  adequate  to  their  wants.  Here  we  find 
universal  rejection  and  condemnation  of  the 
otJier  mans  creed,  which  amounts  with  all  to 
a  rejection  and  repudiation  of  all  the  creeds. 
This  looks  like  a  pretty  strong  verdict  against 
the  creed  as  a  whole,  even  by  that  innumer- 
able multitude  which  insists  on  our  adopt- 
ing the  creed. 

Presbyterianism  can  boast  of  50  distinct 
divisions  under  its  name,  and  at  their  Ecu- 
menical Council,  held  in  Philadelphia  in  1883, 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  49 

thirty-two  of  these  divisions  were  repre- 
sented. 

Each  division  of  this  many-headed  people 
feels  that  its  creed  (for  each  is  supplied  with 
a  separate  creed),  is  a  rule  and  guide  suffi- 
cient;  but  they  share  not  this  feeling,  with 
reference  to  the  creed  of  either  other  di- 
vision. 

Moreover,  the  very  wise  and  sufficient 
creeds  of  this  shamefully  divided  body  of 
Christians  were  so  unlike  and  antagonistic 
indeed,  that  during  that  general  convention 
not  once  was  the  name  of  Jesus  heard  in 
song,  nor  could  they  agree  to  celebrate  to- 
gether the  sufferings  and  death  of  their  Lord 
and  Master  at  the  Communion  table.  Is  not 
the  sufficiency  of  the  creed  best  seen,  after  all, 
in  leading  the  brotherhood  both  away  from 
Christ  and  from  each  other?  If  the  creed 
does  not,  better  than  the  simple  Scriptures, 
lead  the  soul  to  Christ  and  bind  the  heart  of 
brother  to  brother,  wherein  shall  we  see  its 
superiority  as  a  rule  to  the  Scriptures,  or 
its  sufficiency  in  any  respect?  Instead  of 
being  a  means  of  union,  the  creed  has  proven 
itself  a  wall  of  separation,  and  if,  as  a  rule, 
it  is  sufficient  in  faith  and  practice,  the  faith 
4 


50  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

to  which  it  conducts  is  hardly  that  of  Christ 
(else  Christ  has  many  faiths),  nor  its  prac- 
tice that  of  brotherly  love  and  Christian 
courtesy. 

That  the  creed  is  insufficient  is  further 
seen  : 

II.  In  the  badness  of  t lie  spirit  to  which  it 
leads. 

We  would  not  say  that  the  phraseology  or 
spirit  of  the  creed  is  malicious,  but  history 
and  the  opinions  of  eminent  men  are  both 
at  fault,  if  the  creed  does  not  lead  to  and 
beget  an  unbrotherly,  oppressive  and  vindic- 
tive spirit.  If  it  diminishes  brotherliness,  or 
in  the  least  fosters  and  feeds  the  passions 
and  flames  of  condemnation  and  persecution, 
then  its  value  for  good  has  been  overstated, 
and  its  repudiation  as  a  moral  agency  in  the 
hands  of  Christian  men  cannot  be  too  em- 
phatic. 

In  City  Hall,  New  York  City,  Jan.  30, 
1876,  the  Rev.  James  Poindexter  affirmed 
that  not  less  than  70,000,000  of  men  had 
been  slaughtered  in  the  name  of  Christ  in 
the  effort  to  make  them  subscribe  to,  and 
observe,  religious  creeds.  If  this  is  truthful, 
or  if  the  70th  part  of  it  be  true,  then  I  sub- 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  5 1 

mit  a  second  to  the  motion  of  another,  that 
the  creed  be  bound  in  red.  Accepting  the 
minimum  amount  of  the  truth  of  this  asser- 
tion, what  a  fearful  commentary  is  it  on  both 
the  insufficiency  and  the  absolute  einl  of  the 
creed  as  a  moral  influence  and  agent.  "  It 
has  been  said,"  remarks  Dr.  Beaumont, 
"that  not  less  than  50,000,000  Protestants, 
at  different  times,  have  been  put  to  death 
by  Papists.  What  an  army!  What  seas 
of  blood  have  been  shed  !  If  their  bodies 
were  piled  in  one  heap,  that  heap  would  be 
bigger  than  any  mountain  in  the  world." 
If  the.se  50,000,000  had  subscribed  to  the 
Papal  creed,  how  many  of  them  would  have 
perished?  If  subscription  to  the  creed  of 
Rome  would  have  saved  their  lives,  as  be- 
yond reasonable  question  it  would  have 
done,  did  not  the  non-subscription  of  it  cost 
them  their  lives?  In  other  words,  was  not 
the  creed,  or  the  spirit  which  it  inspired  in 
its  devotees,  responsible  for  the  slaughter  of 
these  millions?  If  Rome  had  no  creed 
but  the  Bible,  yielding  to  each  the  privilege 
of  the  personal  interpretation  thereof,  would 
those  persecutions  unto  death  have  trans- 
pired ?     The  answer  must  be  a  negative  one. 


52  Five  Cardinal  Principles, 

and  thus  illustrates  the  vengeance  of  that 
spirit  awakened  by  the  creed. 

Between  1553  and  1558  Queen  Mary  led 
more  than  200  chiefs  of  the  Protestant  party 
to  the  stake  in  England.  Would  either  one 
of  these  chiefs  have  perished  if  he  had  re- 
nounced his  own  and  embraced  the  creed  of 
Mary's  Church?  How  inexorable  is  the 
spirit  of  the  creed,  and  what  torches  it  has 
lighted  to  illumine  its  way  of  progress  in  the 
earth  !  Discarding  the  light  of  the  Word, 
it  has  led  its  followers  by  the  light  of  fagot 
across  many  nations  and  around  the  world. 

While  the  spirit  of  Protestantism  is  less 
severe,  because  more  enlightened,  it  has,  nev- 
ertheless, made  an  altar  of  its  creed  innu- 
merable times,  whereon  it  has  castigated 
and  slaughtered  myriads  of  protesting  vic- 
tims. 

The  word  persecution,  as  used  by  differ- 
ent denominations  between  themselves, 
which  the  light  of  history  in  smallest  meas- 
ure only  too  painfully  reveals  as  a  fact,  would 
have  been  sheathed  by  the  surrender  of  one 
creed  and  the  adoption  of  another,  or  better 
yet,  by  the  surrender  of  all  creeds  and  the 
adoption  of  the  Bible  alone. 


Riile  of  Faith  and  Practice.  5  3 

That  the  creed  as  a  rule  is  insufficient,  ap- 
pears : 

III.  In  that  it  discourages  free  thought  and 
important  investigation. 

It  is  a  form  of  infalh'bility.  The  people 
may  change  but  the  creed  never  does.  If  the 
people  are  not  satisfied  with  the  old  creed 
they  are  at  liberty  to  form  a  neiv  one.  The 
mind  and  heart  will  open,  but  the  iron  ribs 
of  the  creed  will  not  stretch,  and  he  who 
would  have  more  liberty  must  seek  a  larger 
house.  Infallibility  is  the  voice  of  the  creed, 
whether  Protestant  or  Catholic,  and  it  is 
quite  as  honorable  and  admissible  in  the  one 
as  in  the  other.  A  great  hue  and  cry  is  made 
over  the  Pope's  assumption  of  infallibility, 
but  the  work  of  every  Protestant  council 
that  ever  formulated  a  creed  has  been  marked 
infallible  as  well.  The  creed  may  possi- 
bly manifest  some  measure  of  thought,  but 
it  most  certainly  discourages,  if  it  does  not 
absolutely  forbid,  further  thought.  The 
council,  they  say,  went  prayerfully  to  the 
Bible  for  their  creed,  but  they  are  utterly  un- 
willing that  any  others  should,  and  if  they 
persist  in  doing  so,  excommunication  is  the 
penalty.     The  nobler  mind  7C77/think  and  for- 


54  Piy^  Cardinal  Principles. 

mulateitsownfaith.butif  it  does,  and  persists 
in  proclaiming  it  to  the  v/orld,  the  loss  of 
church-fellowship  must  result. 

If  the  creed  lessened  free  thought  only 
with  reference  to  human  speculations,  it 
would  not  be  so  bad,  but  it  does  more  and 
worse,  by  far. 

If  it  does  not  turn  the  mind  away  from 
the  Bible,  it  begets  within  the  man  the  old 
Catholic  conviction,  that  he  cannot  under- 
stand it  of  himself. 

Why  should  he,  for  his  doctrine,  study  the 
Book,  when  he  may  not  understand  it  and 
which  it  took  a  council  of  wisest  theologians 
to  expound?  If  it  does  not  turn  a  man  from 
the  Word,  he  will  approach  it  with  his  mind 
warped  and  narrowed  by  stereotyped  opin- 
ions. He  will  accept  from  the  Word  only 
such  truths  as  his  creed  approves,  and  his 
creed  becomes  tiius  the  key  of  the  Word's 
interpretation.  In  the  light  of  this  argu- 
ment, we  cannot  see  but  the  creed  is  a  bar 
to  free  investigation  and  enlarged  moral  in- 
telligence !  Free  Bible  study  will  not  lead 
to  uniformity  of  doctrinal  belief.  The  creed 
is  intended  to  do  this,  and  to  a  large  extent 
it  will.     Thus  its  spirit  is  unlike  that  of  the 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  ^  ^ 

Word  and  antagonistic  to  it.  It  enervates 
the  mind  by  thinking  for  it.  or  reh"eving  it 
from  the  responsibility  of  thought  and  is 
thus  antagonistic  to  human   progress. 

The  creed  is  insufficient,  in  that — 

IV.  //  leads  to  an  untruthful  expression. 

"  An  honest  man  is  the  noblest  work  of 
God,"  one  has  said.  No  one  will  question 
that  the  Bible  leads  to  honesty  of  expression. 
We  are  empiiatically  of  the  opinion  that  the 
unyielding  creed  does  not  and  cannot  lead  to, 
or  suffer  honesty,  in  the  heart's  expression. 
Whenever  the  creed-church  is  true  to 
itself,  and  thus  honest  in  its  own  action,  it 
will  require  a  personal  endorsement  of  its 
creed  by  the  member  it  receives  to  its  felloivship. 
That  it  ever  deviates  from  this  rule,  does 
not  prove  its  liberality,  but  its  absolute  dis- 
honesty, and  beside,  in  receiving  a  member 
who  disbelieves  its  creed,  as  it  often  will,  it 
zvinks  at  and  encotirages  a  dishonest  expres- 
sion in  that  member. 

Both  of  the  above  acts  would  be  dishon- 
orable in  simply  a  moral  ir[An,  or  in  a  merely 
moral  institution.  Nine  times  in  ten,  the 
member  to  be  received  will  consent  to  the 
truth  of  the  creed,  before  the  church  or  the 


56  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

examining  board,  even  if  he  does  not  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  the  creed,  or  if,  in  un- 
derstanding, he  disbelieves  it  in  whole  or  in 
part.  In  a  majority  of  cases,  the  creed  is 
not  understood,  and  in  a  majority  of  the 
balance,  it  is  not  literally  believed.  For  a 
church  to  accept  the  assent  of  the  mind  to 
an  uncomprehended  statement,  is  shameful, 
and  for  it  to  accept  such  affirmation  when 
untruthful,  is  little  better  than  zvickedncss. 
When  a  place  within  the  church  is  at  the 
price  of  honor  and  manhood,  it  is  too  dearly 
won,  and  when  the  church  is  ready  to  reject 
the  man  who  honestly  differ^  from  a  certain 
creed,  while  accepting  the  Bible  as  a  fact 
from  God,  it  certainly  is  not  worthy  to  call 
itself  the  Fold  of  Jesus  or  the  Church  of 
Christ.  That  the  creed,  while  professed,  is 
not  an  honest  expression  with  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  laity,  has  illustration  in  a  state- 
ment of  "  The  Methodist^'  a  newspaper  of 
New  York  city,  in  1878.  It  says:  "We 
have  discovered  1,000  families  in  Brooklyn, 
that  have  left  the  M.  E.  Church  for  other 
denominations,  and  980  of  these  families  as- 
signed as  the  reason  of  their  departure  the 
changeablenessof  the  pastorate."  Now,  these 


Rule  of  Paith  and  Practice.  57 

families  turned  away  from  the  creed  of 
Methodism,  which  was  their  avowed  doc- 
trinal belief,  and  embraced  another  and  con- 
tradictory creed,  without  any  change  in  their 
doctrinal  convictions.  If  they  were  honest 
in  saying  "  the  Methodist  creed  is  our  be- 
lief," they  were  not  honest  in  adopting  the 
antagonistic  creed  of  another  denomination. 
But  as  with  the  laity,  so  is  it  with  the  clergy. 
In  1878  there  were  500  applications  on  file 
with  the  Bishops  of  the  Reformed  Episcopal 
denomination,  from  clergymen  of  other  de- 
nominations, for  positions  in  their  ministry. 
These  gentlemen  would  all  doubtless  con- 
tinue to  represent  the  doctrinal  faith  of  their 
respective  denominations,  until  they  could, 
with  financial  safety,  pass  over  to  the  arena 
of  a  new  and  another  faith. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  difference  between 
the  creeds  of  the  different  denominations  is 
so  slight,  that  layman  or  minister  can  pass 
over  from  one  to  the  other,  even  without 
change  of  belief  and  without  any  compro- 
mise of  honor  or  honesty.  But  this  is  not 
the  truth.  If  the  differences  of  creeds  are 
so  slight  and  unreal,  why  may  not  union  be 
effected  through  minutest  compromises  and 


58  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

concessions.  The  differences  of  the  creeds 
are  sharp  and  radical,  and  such  a  thing  as 
dovetailing  one  into  the  other  is  wholly  im- 
possible. The  creeds  will  not  blend,  but  the 
hearts  of  the  people  would  do  so  were  it  not 
for  the  creeds. 

Whenever  a  ministerial  defection  occurs, 
the  press  of  the  suffering  body  proclaims  a 
change  of  faith,  the  which,  if  sincere,  unfits 
the  man  for  remaining  and  makes  his  depar- 
ture both  necessary  and  desirable.  Do  the 
different  denominations  proclaim  the  indis- 
tinctness and  littleness  of  their  dividing  lines 
and  assure  their  ministers  and  membeis  that 
they  can  consistently  and  easily  pass  over 
into  the  embrace  of  other  denominations? 
They  ought  to  know  if  the  differences  are 
so  slight.  Would  to  God  they  would  so 
talk,  and  the  dividing  lines,  for  a  fact,  would 
soon  disappear.  Radical  differences  are 
proclaimed  as  a  fact,  however,  and  these  dif- 
ferences are  magnified  for  effect.  The  sepa- 
rating creedal  walls  are  without  open  gales 
from  one  camp  into  another,  nor  are  those 
walls  as  low  as  some  imagine. 

V.  The  Holy  Scriptures  are  a  sufficient 
rule  of  faith  and  practice. 


Rule  of  Faith  mid  Practice.  59 

We  thus  conclude, 

I.  From  their  inspiration. 

This,  certainly,  is  a  very  essential  element 
of  the  word,  and  the  grandest  claim  that  can 
be  made  for  it.  Such  a  claim  will  be  made, 
probably,  for  no  creed  extant,  and  if  there  is 
any  value  in  inspiration,  then,  by  so  much 
as  this,  at  least,  is  the  Bible  better  than  the 
creed.  Of  their  inspiration,  let  the  Scrip- 
tures speak  for  themselves. 

Paul  says,  "All  Scripture  is  given  by  in- 
spiration of  God."  (2  Tim.  3  :  16.)  Peter  says, 
"  This  Scripture  must  needs  have  been  ful- 
filled, which  the  Holy  Ghost  spake  by  the 
mouth  of  David."  (Acts  1:16.)  And  David 
for  himself,  says,  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
spake  by  me, and  His  word  was  in  my  tongue," 
(2  Sam.  23:2.)  Paul  confirms  David's  testi- 
mony of  himself,  (Ps.  95:7,)  by  saying, 
"  Wherefore,  the  Holy  Ghost  saith  to-day  if 
ye  will  hear  His  voice  harden  not  yourheart." 
(Heb.  3:7.)  Peter  says,  "  For  the  prophecy 
came  not  in  olden  time  by  the  will  of  man, 
but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were 
moved  upon  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  (2  Peter 
1:21.)  These  declarations  cover  the  inspira- 
tion of    both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 


6o  Five  Cardinal  Prijiciples. 

which,  together,  constitute  the  Christian's 
rule  of  faith  and  practice.  By  consent  of 
all,  the  creed  is  without  inspiration  or  di- 
vine authority.  The  Scriptures,  on  the  tes- 
timony of  David,  Peter,  Paul  and  Jesus, 
come  to  us  enstamped  and  sealed  with  both. 
We  say,  "Our  rule  and  guide  are  sufficient 
because  inspired.''  The  creed-devotees  say, 
"  Our  rule  and  guide  are  more  neaily  suffi- 
cient, although  uninspired.'' 

The  sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures  further 
appears : 

2.  ///  that  ivhich  the  Sacred  Writers  claimed 
them  to  be. 

David  says,  "Thy  word  is  a  A/w/untomy 
feet  and  a  ligJit  unto  my  path."  (Ps.  — ) 
Solomon  says,  "  For  the  commandment  is  a 
lamp  and  the  laiv  is  a  light."  (Prov.  6:23.) 
David  further  says,  "  O  send  out  Thy  light 
and  Thy  truth :  let  them  lead  mc  ;  let  them 
bring  me  unto  Thy  holy  hill,  and  to  Thy  tab- 
ernacles." (Ps.  43:3.)  Jesus  tells  us  what 
David's  ''  trjith"  {9,:  "Thy  ivord  '\%  truth." 
(John.  17:17.)  Hear  David  further,  "Thc/^w 
of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul." 
(Ps.  19:7.) 

Surely,  for  a  traveller  over  a  road  untrod- 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  6i 

den  and  in  a  way  often  dark,  nothing  could 
prove  more  valuable  than  a  light  irnddilainp. 
The  perfection  of  the  Scriptures  as  an  illum- 
ing agency,  both  for  the'  heart,  the  way 
of  life  and  the  cradle  of  final  rest,  even  the 
creed-monger  and  lover  will  not  contend 
against.  It  would  be  like  audacity,  how- 
ever, for  a  Christian  to  say,  "  My  creed  is  a 
lamp  urtto  my  feet  and  a  light  unto  my  path." 
Then,  more  can  be  said  for  the  Bible  than 
the  creed.  David  sought  for  no  creed  as  a 
guide  and  rule  in  faith  and  practice,  and  who 
will  say  that  beside  the  Scriptures  he  needed 
any?  Is  the  way  darker  before  us,  or  more 
difificult  than  before  David,  that  we  need 
more  light  than  he  had  !  It  is  not  darker, 
nor  more  difficult,  and  yet,  with  the  New 
Testament  added  to  the  Old,  we  have  more 
than  double  his  light.  Strange  that  we 
should  not  be  content  with  this!  He  was 
willing  to  be  led  by  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and 
they  did  lead  him  to  rest,  security,  devotion 
and  salvation.  Can  the  creed  lead  to  more 
than  these?  What  they  did  for  David  they 
would  do  for  any  other  person,  and  securing 
what  David  did,  what  can  we  want  beside  ? 
If   the  Scriptures  are  "  perfect,  converting 


62  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

the  soul,"  will  they  be  more  than  perfect,  or 
do  more  than  convert  the  soul,  or  indeed 
more  easily  convert  the  soul,  with  the  creed 
added  ?  By  the  voice  of  the  Old  Testament 
the  Scriptures  area  perfect  lamp,  light,  law, 
commandnient,  g7iide  and  converting  agency. 
What  more  could  we  wish  them  to  be,  and 
what  can  be  more?  The  creed  cannot  be  so 
much;  therefore  the  creed  is  a  less  perfect 
rule  and  guide  than  the  Bible.  But  open  the 
New  Testament  and  listen  to  Jesus  :  "Search 
the  Scriptures;  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have 
eternal  life  :  and  they  are  they  which  testify 
of  Me."  (John  5  :  39.) 

If  the  Scriptures  give  eternal  life  and  re- 
veal Jesus  to  the  soul,  do  they  not,  in  these 
two  particulars,  do  more  than  the  creed? 
Can  we  want  more  than  Jesus  and  eternal 
life?  And  who  will  say  that  we  cannot  have 
them  without  the  creed?  If  the  Scriptures 
alone  lead  to  Jesus  and  give  eternal  life,  then, 
thus  far,  they  must  be  a  sufficient  and  per- 
fect rule  of  faith  and  practice.  Where  is 
the  wisdom  or  right  in  substituting  the 
creed  for  them  ?  What  man  will  venture  to 
apply  the  above  quotation  to  the  creed  ? 
Hear  Paul :  "Thou    hast    known    the  Holy 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  63 

Scriptures,  which  are  able  to  make  thee  wise 
unto  salvation  through  faith  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus.  All  Scripture  is  given  by  in- 
spiration of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doc- 
trine, for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruc- 
tion in  righteousness:  that  the  man  of  God 
may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto 
all  good  works."  (2  Tim.  3:  15-17.)  What 
a  wonderful  statement  is  the  above,  and 
who  would  seek  its  modification  !  Here,  the 
simple  Scriptures,  without  the  help  of  the 
creed,  make  the  man  wise  unto  salvation, 
perfects  him  in  character,  and  fully  furnishes 
him  in  good  works.  Have  they  not  proven 
their  sufficiency  in  these  three  directions? 
Has  the  creed  proven  its  sufficiency  in  either 
one  of  these  directions,  or  can  it  do  so?  If 
it  has  not  and  cannot,  why  boast  of  its  su- 
periority or  sufficiency?  The  very  things 
the  Scriptures  do  for  the  man  he  needs  to 
have  done  for  him,  and  if  they  will  not  do 
this  work  better  with  the  creed  than  without 
it,  then  the  creed  is  not  needed  to  make  him 
wise  unto  salvation,  perfect  him  in  character 
or  qualify  hiin  for  good  works.  Is  the  creed 
a  better  instructor,  reprover,  corrector,  or  in- 
doctrinator  than  the  Bible,  or  is  it  as  good? 


64  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

If  not,  then  in  seven  particulars,  just«here,  it 
is  far  short  of,  and  less  helpful,  than  the 
Scriptures.  It  would  be  diflficult  to  indicate 
one  desirable  thing  in  which  the  creed  h  bet- 
ter than  the  Scriptures  alone,  or  the  tithe  as 
good,  or  one  thing  wherein  the  creed  makes 
the  Scriptures  more  perfect  as  an  agency. 
What  good  use  the  creed  can  serve,  or  for 
what  one  thing  it  is  a  sufficient  guide  in 
faith  and  practice,  I  fail  to  see  or  know.  If 
it  will  do  for  the  man  one  thing  which  the 
Bible  alone  cannot  do — one  thing  which  the 
man,  to  the  perfection  of  his  character  and  his 
moral  effectiveness  needs  to  have  done,  then 
I  should  yield  it  some  little  measure  of  res- 
pect. Until  then,  I  can  only  loathe  it  for  its 
false  claims  and  evil  fruits. 

We  will  see  Scripture  sufficiency  further, 
in  that, 

3.  They  were  the  only  rule  of  faith  and 
practice  with  the  Primitive  Church. 

As  with  the  primitive  Christian  Church,  so 
was  it  also  with  ihQ  Jewish  Church  :  "  They 
have  Mos'es  and  the  Prophets  ;  let  them  hear 
them."  (Luke  16:29.)  God  gave  the  Jews 
the  Old  Testament  for  a  guide,  and  they  were 
content.    To  the  Old,  he  has  added  the  New 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  65 

Testament  as  a  guide  for  the  Christian 
Church,  but  they  are  not  content  To  these 
Old  Scriptures  the  Bereans  appealed  (to  no 
creed),  for  "  they  searched  the  Scriptures 
daily,  whether  those  things  were  so."  (Acts 
17:  II.)  It  would  be  difficult  to  prove  that 
Moses,  Jesus,  Peter,  Paul,  John  or  James, 
ever  appealed  to  any  other  standard  than 
the  Scriptures  as  a  rule  and  guide  in  moral 
faith  and  practice.  If  the  creed  can  show 
a  better  rule  for  the  government  of  conduct 
than  Jesus  gave  in  Matthew  18:15  — 17, 
then  we  will  admit  that  it  possesses  a  virtue 
heretofore  undiscovered  by  us.  As  to  what 
constituted  the  rule  oi  faith  with  the  Apos- 
tles, we  refer  the  reader  to  the  Pentecostal 
occasion  and  to  the  personal  cases  of  the 
Eunuch,  Cornelius,  Lydia,  the  Jailor  and 
Saul.  Surely  these  disciples  and  the  early 
churches  to  which  they  belonged  wjere  not 
left  without  a  sufficient  rule  of  faith  and 
practice,  and  yet  who  will  claim  that  they 
were  supplied  with.,  any  form  of  creed,  or 
any  rule  whatever,  save  the  teachings  of  the 
sacred  New  and  Old  Testament  writers. 
The  simple  fact  that  the  Scriptures  were  the 
only  rule  or  guide  in  the  Mosaic  and  Apos- 
5 


66  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

tolic  churches,  and  that  no  semblance  of  a 
creed  is  discoverable  until  about  lOO  years 
after  the  death  of  John,  and  that  even  those 
then  formed  were  without  binding  authority 
according  to  most  eminent  authority,  must 
go  far  to  demonstrate  both  the  sufificien'cy  of 
the  Scriptures,  and  that  no  other  rule  and 
guide  was  intended  for  the  Church  of  Jesus. 

The  sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures  alone 
will  appear  : 

4.  In  their  Moral  or  Regenerating  Power. 

That  the  Bible  is  a  converting  agency  has 
been  affirmed  by  Paul  to  Timothy,  and  that 
alone  it  is  such  an  agency,  and  thus  sufficient 
as  a  guide  to  regeneration,  will  appear  from 
a  few  illustrations  following:  In  Rio  Novo, 
Brazil,  a  man  obtained  a  copy  of  the  Bible, 
which  he  read  to  his  Catholic  neighbors,  and 
its  spirit  so  touched  their  hearts  that  they 
sent  to.  Brotas  for  a  missionary.  On  his  ar- 
rival he  found  200  converts  ready  for  church 
organization,  and  these  conversions  were  the 
fruit  of  that  one  Bible  alone. 

Another  instance:  An  East  Indian,  who 
had  been  a  priest  of  Budhism  for  forty  years, 
picked  up  a  leaf  from  the  Gospel  of  John, 
which  so  interested  him  that  he  sought  and 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  6"/ 

obtained  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament. 
After  reading  it,  he  said :  "  I  will  follow 
Jesus."  He  read  it  to  his  wife  and  children 
and  they  believed  and  bowed  to  Jesus.  He 
then  gathered  the  town  people  and  read  it 
to  fhem,  winning  many  of  them  to  Christ. 
This  all  occurred  before  they  had  ever  been 
visited  by  a  missionary. 

Again  :  In  Japan,  in  i860,  a  Bible  was  left 
in  Souda  by  a  traveller.  Not  until  1875  was 
the  place  visited  by  a  missionary,  and  then, 
as  the  fruit  of  that  Bible,  he  found  a  band 
of  Christians  ready  for  organization.  The 
Bible  alone  converted,  saved,  transformed  and 
christianized  these  people.  Whoever  heard 
of  such  a  work  resulting  from  the  creed 
alone,  or  even  of  a  single  conversion  through 
its  instrumentality?" 

During  the  Abysinian  war  a  number  of 
Bibles  were  left  by  the  soldiers  among  the 
natives.  They  resulted  in  the  conversion  of 
120  persons,  among  whom  were  33  Moham- 
medan priests.  They  were  driven  out  by 
the  natives,  and  sought  the  protection  of  the 
British  flag. 

At  Kooz  Oglook,  an  Armenian  village, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Goss,  on  a  visitation,  was  ill- 


68  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

treated  and  finally  driven  away.  He  left 
behind  him  a  single  copy  of  the  Bible.  Ten 
years  later  a  second  visitation  was  made,  and 
it  was  found  that  30  families  had  become 
Christians  through  the  agency  of  that  one 
Bible. 

Even  in  Christian  lands  the  Bible  shows 
the  same  remarkable  energy  as  a  converting 
agency.  Lord  Lyttleton  was  converted 
from  pronounced  infidelity  by  reading  the 
wonderful  story  of  Saul's  conversion.  Fin- 
ney, the  distinguished  revivalist,  is  an  illus- 
tration of  the  same  truth.  As  an  uncon- 
verted lawyer,  he  would  not  have  a  copy  of 
the  Bible  about  until  finally,  to  perfect  him- 
self more  fully  for  his  professional  duties, 
he  purchased  a  copy,  in  order  to  acquaint 
himself  with  the  Institutes  of  Moses.  This 
study  led  to  his  conversion  and  the  changing 
of  his  profession. 

These  illustrations  amply  manifest  the 
moral  efficiency  of  the  Scriptures  unaccom- 
panied by  the  creed,  and  show  conclusively 
that  "the  Sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the 
Word  of  God,"  has  an  edge  quite  as  keen  as 
that  claimed  for  it  by  the  Apostle. 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  69 

The  sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures  is  shown 
further: 

5.  In  their  universal  adaptedness. 

There  is  not  a  nation  known  to  us  which 
cannot  take  the  Bible  into  the  folds  of  its 
heart  and  get  therefrom  the  needed  moral 
consolation,  instruction  and  correction.  As 
it  was  with  the  early  Christians — Jews, 
Greeks  and  Romans — so  is  it  yet  to  au  men 
everywhere.  As  one  has  said  :  "  The  Bible 
is  the  only  world-book  " — and  such  it  most 
truly  is.  It  has  been  called  "  the  English- 
man's book,"  but  is  far  more  than  this  :  "  // 
is  mans  book"  in  the    most  universal  sense. 

Goethe  remarked  :  "  The  Bible  is  not  only  a 
popular  book,  but  it  is  the  book  of  the  peo- 
ples— the  more  the  ages  shall  progress  in 
culture,  the  more  shall  the  Bible  be  used  as 
the  foundation  and  as  an  instrument  of  that 
education    which    forms    truly    wise    men." 

General  Grant  said  recently  :  "  To  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Bible  we  are  indebted  for  all  the 
progress  made  in  true  civilization,  and  to 
this  we  must  look  as  our  guide  in  the  fu- 
ture." 

General  Putnam  once  remarked :  "  The 
Bible  is  the    most  wonderful    book   I  ever 


70  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

heard  of.     It  has  something   fdr  everybody 
and  for  all  occasions." 

Certainly  all  that  is  said  here  for  the  Bible, 
any  creed-loving  minister  would  endorse  and 
emphasize,  but  what  one  of  the  above  things 
can  he  say  for  his  creed  ?  Is  the  creed  of 
Methodism,  which  is  just  as  perfect  as  any 
creed,  as  fully  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the 
people  morally  as  is  the  Bible!  If  they 
were  told  that  they  must  give  up  their 
Bible  or  their  creed,  would  they  not,  ten 
thousand  times  over,  prefer  to  give  up  the 
latter?  By  yielding  their  creed  they  might 
cease  to  remain  Methodists  in  some  respects, 
but  having  the  Bible  left,  would  they  there- 
fore cease  to  remain  Christians?  As  the 
Bible  is  dearer  to  them  than  their  creed  can 
be,  so  to  remain  Christians  is  infinitely  bet- 
ter than  to  remain  simply  as  Methodists. 
Dispossession  of  his  creed  would  not  un- 
christianize  the  man,  but  without  his  Bible 
he  would  soon  lose  sight  of  his  Christ.  Now 
the  Bible,  our  Methodist  friends  would  tell 
us,  is  perfectly  adapted  to  their  wants.  But 
would  not  the  Presbyterians,  Baptists  and 
Lutherans  all  tell  us  that  the  Bible  is  as  per- 
fectly adapted  to  their  wants  ?  Is  either  creed 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  7 1 

of  these  denominations  as  perfectly  adapted 
to  the  wants  of  all  the  rest  ?  And  if  all  had 
to  agree  on  any  one  creed,  or  the  simple  Bi- 
ble, as  their  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  would 
there  be  a  moment's  hesitation  in  the  choice  ? 
Certainly  not !  Then,  is  not  this  decision  to 
be  accepted  as  a  judgment  by  all  in  favor  of 
the  Scriptures  alone  over  any  other  creed 
than  their  own  creed?  And  as  this  judg- 
ment, of  course,  is  a  repudiation  of  each  creed, 
does  it  not  elevate  the  Bible  as  a  rule  and 
guide  above  all  the  creeds? 

Now,  then,  all  creed-denominations  differ 
from  the  Christians  in  just  one  particular. 
They  each  ivoiiUi  prefer  the  Bible  alone  to  any 
creed  than  their  oivn,  while  the  Christians 
would  prefer  the  Bible  alone  to  any  creed  tvhat- 
ever  !  While  the  Christians  say:  "  the  Bi- 
ble is  a  sufificient  rule  of  faith  and  practice," 
the  200  or  more  creed-denominations  say: 
"  the  Bible  and  our  200  creeds  are  a  suffi- 
cient rule  of  faith  and  practice."  Does 
either  one  denomination  say  of  the  creed  of 
any  other  denomination,"//  is  a  sufficient 
rule  of  faith  and  practice?"  Does  not  each 
creed-denomination  say  to  every  other  creed- 
denomination  :  "Your  creed   is   not  a  suffi- 


72  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

cient  rule  and  guide."  Then  taking  Ihe  tes- 
timony of  all  denominations,  do  we  not  find  it 
fully  confirtnatory  of  the  position  of  the  Chris- 
tian that  no  creed  is  a  sufficient  rule  and  guide 
in  faith  and  practice?  We  have  not  tried 
the  creed,  but  while  all  creed-bodies  virtually 
decide  against  the  creed  in  its  sufficiency, 
save  as  formulated  by  its  own  hand,  would 
it  be  wisdom  in  us  to  turn  from  the  Scrip- 
tures to  the  creed  ? 

Bible  sufficiency  is  further  manifested  in 
that: 

6.  Most  enlightened  judgment  pronounces 
in  favor  of  this  truth. 

Coleridge  says :  **  The  Bible  is  the  only 
adequate  organ  of  humanity.  It  has  gone 
hand  in  hand  with  science,  civilization  and 
law."  If  the  Bible  will  answer  as  "the  or- 
gan of  humanity,"  to  which  claim  all  de- 
nominations will  consent,  then  is  it  not  suf- 
ficient as  the  organ  of  a  single  denomina- 
tion ?  Will  that  do  for  the  whole  which 
will  not  do  for  a  part?  All  denominations 
together,  in  any  capacity,  will  accept  noth- 
ing else.  This  certainly  is  a  warm  and 
blessed  verdict  in  favor  of  the  grand  old 
book.     We  would  think  that  he  who  goqld 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  73 

command  an  immense  army  ought  to  have 
no  trouble  in  commanding  a  small  division 
of  that  army. 

'"The  Bible,  the  whole  Bible,  and  nothing 
but  the  Bible,"  was  the  motto  of  the  Refor- 
mation. This,  without  modification,  is  the 
motto  of  the  Christians.  Whoever  thought 
of  challenging  the  wisdom  of  the  Reform- 
ers in  the  adoption  of  this  motto?  Would 
to  God  they  had  been  content  to  abide  by 
it  alone  and  forever  !  Are  the  Christians  to 
be  blamed,  or  are  they  not  safe  in  adopting 
the  motto  of  the  Reformation?  We  have 
tried  it  for  seventy-five  years,  and  it  has  led 
us  on  to  no  rocks  as  yet.  If  the  Protestant 
world  will  accept  our  invitation  to  try  it  with 
us,  we  will  soon  again  be  back  in  the  palmy 
days  of  the  Reformation.  Chillingworth, 
the  grandly  eloquent  minister  of  the  Epis- 
copal church,  could  go  as  far  as  the  Chris- 
tians have  gone  in  at  least  his  word-of-mouth 
proclamation,  "The  Bible — the  Bible  the 
religion  of  Protestants.'.'  He  did  not  say, 
"the  Bible  and  the  creed,"  or  "the  Bible 
as  interpreted  by  the  creed,"  but  "  the  Bi- 
ble" (and  nothing  else)  "the  religion  of 
Protestants."     Does    the    creed    add  to  the 


74  /^jW  Cardinal  Principles. 

religion  of  the  Bible,  or  make  that  religion 
any  better?  Is  not  the  religion  of  the  Bi- 
ble in  its  faith  and  practice  all-sufificiency  ? 
What  more  than  this  all-sufificiency  can  we 
have,  or  reasonably  wish  ? 

Lonza,  Ex-Prime  Minister  of  Victor 
Emanuel,  of  Italy,  once  remarked :  "  The 
Divine  Book  which  proclaims  the  abolition 
of  slavery,  universal  brotherhood,  peace  on 
earth,  benevolence  to  the  poor,  etc.,  ought 
to  have  power  to  meet  the  utmost  needs  of 
the  State,  and  to  be  the  creed  of  our  entire 
humanity."  Thus  eminent  men  unfurl  the 
banner  of  the  Scriptures  inscribed  "  The 
Organ  of  Humanity,''  "  The  Motto  of  the 
Reformation,"  '*  The  Religion  of  Protestants^' 
and  "  The  Creed  of  Humanity^  Let  any 
one  of  the  creed-denominations  unfurl  such 
a  banner  over  their  own  creed,  and  all  the 
other  creed-denominations  would  ridicule 
the  act  with  a  laugh  of  scorn  !  If  the  creed- 
denominations  would  unite  in  protestation 
against,  and  ridicule  of,  this  assumption  by 
any  one  of  their  creed-bound  fellows,  is  it  wis- 
dom to  pronounce  the  Christians  unevangeli- 
cal,  when  they  really  but  imitate  the />/// ex- 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  75 

ample  of  all  in  their  denomination  of  such 
unwarrantable  assumptions  ? 

Finally,  the  sufficiency  of  the  Scriptures 
appears  in  that  : 

7.  They  will  do  more  for  the  Church  than 
the  creed  can  and  far  more  without  the  creed 
than  with  it.  For  the  creed,  it  is  claimed 
that  it  will  assure  soundness  of  faith,  give 
plain  expression  to  that  faith,  protect  against 
dangerous  elements  and  bind  the  people  more 
closely  together.  To  be  better  than  the  Scrip- 
tures, it  ought  to  do  all  of  these  things,  and 
if  it  does  do  them  then  the  creed  should  be 
substituted  for  the  Scriptures  as  our  creed- 
denomittations  insist. 

If,  however,  the  creed  will. do  neither  of 
these  things  as  well  as  the  Scriptures,  then 
surely  the  Scriptures  should  be  substituted 
for  the  creed,  as  a  rule  of  faith  and  practice, 
as  the  Christians  insist.  Soundness  of  faith 
is  very  desirable  and  the  true  faith  the 
Scriptures  claim  to  set  forth  (and  all  creed- 
denominations  admit  that  they  do,)  in  the 
language  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth. 
Is  not  the  Holy  Ghost  a  safe  and  sound 
teacher?  Have  our  creed-friends  found  a 
safer  and   sounder    teacher  or  teachers    in 


76  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

certain  uninspired  and  erring  men,  that  have 
met  as  councils,  in  different  ages  of  the 
world?  Do  the  Armenians  say  that  these 
councils,  when  Calvinistic,  have  been  sounder 
and  safer  than  that  council  of  the  Apostles, 
with  Christ' as  its  Head?  Will  the  Calvin- 
istic friends  say  the  same  of  Armenian  coun- 
cils? Will  Protestants  say  the  same  of  Cath- 
olic councils?  or  Catholics  the  same  of  Pro- 
testant councils?  Each  repudiating  the 
authority,  safety,  soundness^of  the  other,  to 
whom  shall  we  turn,  that  we  ;/zrtj  have  sound- 
ness of  faith?  The  Scriptures  teach  God's 
Fatherhood,  man's  brotherhood,  Christ's 
Messiahship,  the  quickening  and  consoling 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  necessity  of 
resgeneration,  baptism,  the  reurrection  and 
the  final  judgment,  together  with  the  return 
of  Jesus — as  all  admit.  Do  the  creeds  teach 
any  more  than  these  doctrines,  or  these  doc- 
trines in  a  sounder  and  safer  form  ?  If  a 
man  believes  in  these  doctrines,  is  he  not 
sound  in  the  faith  ?  and  if  he  gets  them  first- 
handed  from  the  Bible  alone,  is  he  not  just 
as  safe  and  sound  in  matters  of  faith  as  if 
he  took  them  second-handed  and  in  un- 
scriptural  language,  from  the  creed  ?     Who- 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  JJ 

ever  accepts  the  Scriptures  as  his  rule  of 
faith,  believes  all  these  doctrines,  and  is, 
therefore,  sound  in  the  faith.  Such  a  man 
does  not  need  the  creed,  so  that  it  is  not 
true  that  the  creed  assures  soundness  of  faith. 
Nor  does  the  creed  more  plainly  illustrate  the 
man's  faith  than  the  Scriptures.  "  We  can- 
not tell  what  you  believe,"  the  Christians 
are  often  told  ;  therefore  you  should  adopt 
a  creed.  Most  ridiculous  and  yet  most 
common,  is  this  assertion.  But  we  answer, 
"  Can  you  not  tell  what  Paul  believed  and 
John  and  Peter  and  James?  Did  they  ac- 
commodate your  squeamish  notions  by  pre- 
senting you  with  a  creed,  wherein  was  con- 
densed in  some  other  than  Scriptural  lan- 
guage their  peculiar  doctrinal  ideas?  When 
we  say,  "  We  believe  the  teachings  of  Paul, 
John,  James,  Peter  and  Jesus,  are  we  not  as 
definite  as  they  were?"  And  when  you  say 
"  We  cannot  tell  what  you  believe,"  when 
we  make  their  word  our  belief,  do  you  not 
charge  these  writers  with  indefinitcness  and 
ambiguity?  Affirm  any  one  thing  which 
the  Bible,  in  its  own  language  affirms,  and 
in  that  very  language  we  will  give  you  our 
belief  and  teaching.     Are  you  not  unreason- 


78  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

able  in  demanding  that  we  repudiate  the 
plain,  Bible  teaching  and  adopt  for  your  ac- 
commodation the  ambiguous  and  unscrip- 
tural  language  of  an  uninspired  and  un- 
authorized creed  ?  We  appeal  "  to  the  law 
and  to  the  testimony."  We  will  not  be  driven 
from  the  Bible  alone,  for  it  is  the  only  for- 
tress behind  which  the  soul  is  safe. 

If  1,000  men  arise  and  proclaim  their  belief 
in  exactly  the  same  language,  and  that  lan- 
guage not  Bible  language,  it  would  look  as 
though  they  had  learned  their  doctrines  in  the 
school  of  human  masters,  rather  than  in  the 
school  of  Christ  and  his  Apostles.  We  are 
asked,  but  we  are  not  yet  ready,  to  exchange 
thclatter  school  for  the  former.  If  the  creed 
givessuch  plain  expression  to  Christian  faith, 
why  do  they  state  that  faith  in  200  ways,  no 
two  of  which  are  alike  ?  Does  Paul  differ  from 
James,  or  Peter  from  John  ?  or  either  one 
from  Christ  ?  And  yet,  these  men  whom 
we  arc  asked  to  follow,  that  we  may  plainly 
state  our  faith  to  the  world,  strangely  disa- 
gree in  their  statements  of  faith  ?  Thus  the 
creed  fails  in  two  points,  and  in  these  its 
claims  are  manifestly  false.  But  we  arc  told, 
"  The  creed  will  protect  your  CJmrch  against 


Ride  of  Faith  and  Practice.  79 

dangerous  elements.  Shall  we  protect  our- 
selves against  Methodists,  Baptists,  Luther- 
ans, Presbyterians  ?  Are  these  dangerous 
elements  for  the  church?  Or  is  any  man 
dangerous  who  loves  God  with  all  his  heart 
and  his  neighbor  as  himself — who  accepts 
Jesus  as  his  Saviour  and  the  Bible  as  God's 
Word  to  his  soul  ? 

It  surely  cannot  be  the  character  of  the 
Christian  which  is  an  element  of  danger, 
against  which  we  should  guard,  nor  indeed 
\\\s  faith,  if  he  draws  it  directly  from  Christ 
and  his  Apostles?  We  invite  to  our  fellow- 
ship Christian  men,  because  Christ  himself 
has  entered  the  throne  of  their  hearts  and 
would  readily  open  the  gates  of  heaven  to 
them.  Do  the  creed-denominations  fill  their 
churches  with  a  better  class  of  men  than 
Christians,  dind^nd  men  robed  with  a  better 
character  than  Christian  character?  Do 
they  dare  claim  that,  in  point  of  character, 
their  men  and  women  are  better  and  holier 
than  the  men  and  women  of  the  Christians? 
If  they  have  not  a  better  class  of  people,  in 
what  respect  does  their  uninspired  creed 
protect  them  against  dangerous  elements, 
that  our    inspired  Scriptures  do  not  ?     But 


8o  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

surely,  "  The  creed  will  bind  the  people  more 
closely  together,  than  the  Scriptures  alone.'' 
Ah  !  this  is  the  most  extravagant  and  un- 
tenable claina  of  all ! 

The  Bible  alone  will  show  its  sufificiency 
by  binding  the  people  together  and  to  Christ, 
as  no  creed  can.  If'  a  man  be  a  Christian, 
is  he  not  a  branch  of  the  Vine?  and  can 
there  be  a  relationship  closer  to  Christ  than 
that  of  the  branch  to  the  Vine  ?  Moreover, 
is  not  the  relationship  to  another  branch  of 
the  same  Vine  just  as  close  as  that  of  either 
branch  to  the  Vine  itself  ?  By  this  argument, 
then,  is  not  the  one  branch  of  the  True  Vine 
just  as  closely  related  to  another  branch  of 
the  same  Vine  as  to  that  vine  itself?  Can 
the  creed  more  closely  or  intensely  cement 
or  bind  the  Christian  to  Christ  or  his  fellow- 
Christian,  than  he  is  already  bound  by  the 
Scriptures  and  the  Holy  Ghost?  Does  not 
every  denomination  consent  that  the  regen- 
erated young  convert  is  in  Christ,  and  that 
his  love,  as  a  youthful  disciple  of  Jesus,  is 
perfectly  intense  for  all  his  Master's  dear 
children  ?  But  what  does  he  know  of  the 
creed,  or  what  thought  has  he  bestowed 
upon  it  ?     It  has  had    no  agency   in  his  re- 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice.  Si 

generation,  or  in  binding  his  heart,  with  such 
disinterested  devotion,  to  the  followers  of 
Jesus.  Can  the  creed-monger,  with  a  shadow 
of  truth  in  his  heart,  look  into  the  face  of 
the  young  convert  and  say  in  the  language 
of  the  above  claim,  "  Tlie  creed  ivill  bind 
your  heart  more  closely  to  the  family  of  Christ 
than  it  is  already  bontid  by  the  Bidle  and  the 
Spirit?  There  would  not  be  a  particle  of 
truth  in  such  an  assertion,  nor  is  there  more 
in  the  exact  language  of  the  claim,  as  stated 
above. 

But  let  us  press  the  argument  further, 
in  the  light  of  historical  fact.  Methodism 
started  on  its  (in  many  respects  blessed 
career)  as  one,  but  who  can  easily  number 
the  divisions  of  Methodism  to-day?  Has 
the  creed  held  the  Methodist  family  to- 
gether? Had  they  taken  the  Bible  alone, 
Methodism  would  be  one  to-day!  Is  united 
Methodism  better  than  divided  Methodism  ? 
The  eiTorts  for  the  unification  of  Methodism 
indicate  that  they  think  so.  Then  are  the 
Scriptures  alone  better  for  Methodism  than 
the  creed.  That  which  the  Bible  could  have 
prevented  the  Bible  can  best  undo.  We 
6 


§2  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

commend  it  to  our  good  Methodist  friends 
in  their  commendable    effort   at  unification. 

Presbyterianism  started  as  one,  but  to  day 
the  general  body  has  50  heads,  each  one  of 
which  is  crowned  with  a  creed.  The  creed 
has  failed,  manifestly,  in  binding  together 
the  family  of  Presbyterianism? 

Has  the'  binding  and  cementing  power  of 
the  creed  been  any  better  with  the  other  de- 
nominations? Why  commend  to  us  the 
creed  as  a  binding  force  in  Christian  fclloiv- 
ship  for  all  God's  family,  when  it  utterly 
fails  to  bind  together  in  oneness  a  small 
fraction  of  that  family?  With  our  eyes  on 
miserable  failures  of  the  creed  in  this  direc- 
tion, it  hardly  seems  less  than  ridiculous 
audacity  to  press  upon  us  the  same  pitiful 
agency  as  a  means  to  a  stronger  and  more 
fervent  union!  If  the  Bible  alone  is  insuffi- 
cient as  an  agency  of  union,  for  what  is  the 
creed  more  fully  sufficient  and  remarkable 
than  as  a  wedge  to  divide  and  mangle  the 
Church  of  Christ !  How  different  the  ex- 
perience of  the  Christians  !  With  the  Scrip- 
tures alone  as  their  rule  of  faith  and  practice, 
they  began  life  75  years  ago.  They  have 
never  suffered  a  division  in  their  history  and 


Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice,  83 

are  as  heartily  united  in  their  work,  faith 
and  fellowship  as  any  people,  or  any  branch 
of  any  people,  on  earth  to-day.  The  Bible 
has  not  divided  us,  nor  is  it  likely  to  do  so, 
but  it  has  bound  us  in  one  blessed  fellow- 
ship, as  it  would  the  universal  Church,  if  the 
creed  was  thrown  to  the  winds  or  given  to 
the  flames.  The  Church  is  in  a  shattered, 
bleeding  condition  to-day,  expending  more 
of  its  moral  force  and  substantial  means  in 
fostering  and  nourishing  its  divisions  than 
in  performing  its  legitimate  work  of  con- 
verting the  world.  If  Christ  organized  but 
one  Church  and  did  not  provide  for  a  second, 
then  the  ftjlest  union  and  co-operation  of 
that  one  Church  is  desirable  and  obligatory  ! 
On  no  one  creed  can  it  unite  its  scattered 
forces.  On  the  Bible  alone  and  under  the 
banner  of  the  Cross,  with  Jesus  as  the  only 
leader,  there  could  be  no  difficulty  in  the 
way. 


84  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 


CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER  THE 
TEST." 


By  Rev.  J.  W.  Osborn,  Ph.  D.,  Swansea,  Mass. 


That  "  Christian  character  is  the  Qnly  test 
of  fellowship  "  is  uniformly  regarded  as  one 
of  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  com- 
munion of  churches  known  as    CHRISTIANS. 

In  the  book  entitled  the  "  Principles  and 
Government  of  the  Christian  Church,"  pub- 
lished by  the  authority  of  the  "  General  Con- 
vention "  "  composed  of  representatives  from 
all  the  Christian  Conferences  in  tjic  Southern 
States,"  is  a  direction  that  "  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  church,"  among  the  articles  of 
agreement  to  be  signed,  shall  be  one  stating 
that  "  Christian  character,  or  vital  piety,  is 
the  true  Scriptural  test  of  fellowship  and  of 
church  membership."  In  the  chapter  on  the 
**  Principles  of  the  Church,"  in  the  same 
volume,  is  a  statement  in  these  words,  vary- 
ing slightly  from  those  just  quoted  :  "  Chris- 
tian character,  or  vital  piety,  is  a  just,  and 
should  be  the  only,  test  of  fellowship,  or  of 
church  membership." 


Christian  Character  the  Test.  85 

However  plain  a  proposition  may  be,  an 
occasional  re-statement  is  necessary,  both  to 
draw  attention  anew  to  the  truth  enunciated, 
and  to  adjust  its  expression  to  varying 
modes  of  thooght.  Different  communities 
view  a  subject  in  different  aspects,  and  it 
must  be  so  presented  as  to  be  adapted  to 
the  apprehension  of  all.  And  in  successive 
generations  the  evolution  of  thought  must 
at  every  stage  be  met  by  a  fresh  presenta- 
tion of  the  principle  to  be  taught. 

"  Spiritual  things  are  spiritually  discerned." 
The  ability  to  understand  a  statement  in- 
cludes the  capacity  to  conceive  the  fact  or 
principle  concerning  which  the  statement  is 
made. 

Of  education  and  culture,  a  gentleman 
blind  from  his  birth,  remarked  that  "  the  word 
'red'  seemed  to  him  to  signify  something 
like  a  cane  ;  "  and  the  word  '  green  '  some- 
thinglike the  music  of  an  orgaa."  Some  men 
attach  a  vague  meaning,  or  a  significance 
radically  false,  to  language,  which  for  the 
comprehension  of  other  men,  is  sufficiently 
explicit.  If  there  is  no  moral  infirmity  or 
spiritual  obtuseness  to  prevent  a  clear  per- 
ception, there  may  be    misapprehension  re- 


86  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

suiting  from  the  necessary  ambiguity  of  lan- 
guage. Perhaps  for  this  reason,  an  alterna- 
tive expression  is  used  in  the  thesis — 
"Christian  character,  or  vital  piety." 

The  word  "  Christian "  and  the  phrase 
"Christian  character"  are  used  with  great 
latitude  of  meaning. 

Sometimes  men  are  styled  "  Christians  " 
because  they  live  in  a  land  where  Christianity, 
instead  of  Mahomedanism  or  Paganism,  is 
generally  regarded  as  the  true  system  of  re- 
ligion. And  there  are  many  advantages  in 
living  in  a  community  where  Christian  con- 
ceptions of  what  is  manly  and  becoming 
pervade  society  to  a  degree  sufficient  not 
only  to  secure  the  enactment  of  laws  de- 
signed to  restrain  if  not  reform  the  criminal, 
to  protect  the  weak  from  the  strong  and  un- 
scrupulous, and  to  unite  order  with  liberty; 
but  so  to  promote  honesty,  benevolence  and 
purity,  that  one  seldom  needs  the  protection 
of  law.  In  such  a  state  of  society  the  worst 
man,  though  he  may  utterly  repudiate  the 
claims  of  Christianity,  and  treat  its  truths 
with  bitter  scorn,  enjoys  a  multitude  of  ad- 
vantages due  to  its  beneficent  influence  :  if 
in   prison  he  is  far    more    fortunate    than 


Christian  Character  the  Test.  87 

though  a  prisoner  in  any  other  land.  Though 
he  may  forget  God,  the  Gospel  affords  him, 
unconsciously,  blessings  without  number 
and  beyond  price.  But  his  advantages  may 
fail  to  make  him  morally  better;  they  may 
possibly  make  him  worse.  The  fact  that 
one's  birthright  involves  great  privileges 
may  not  prevent  him  from  selling  it,  even 
for  a  "  mess  of  pottage."  Opportunity  \s  not 
"  Christian  character."  Among  all  forms  of 
religious  belief,  it  is  probably  true  that  Protes- 
tant Christianity,  as  deducted  from  the  New 
Testament,  alone  recognizes  a  distinction, 
broad,  deep  and  radical,  between  a  merely 
nominal  or  national  religion,  and  personal 
piety.  In  the  absence  of  contrary  evidence, 
it  is  assumed  that  every  Moslem  is  a  "true 
believer,"  every  Roman  Catholic  a  "faithful 
son  of  the  church."  But  the  New  Testa- 
ment treats  religion  as  character ;  and  char- 
acter is  individual. 

In  some  instances  men  are  regarded  as 
Christians  merely  because  they  are  not  guilty 
of  gross  violations  of  morality,  according  to 
the  particular  ideal  of  the  community  con- 
cerned :  an  ideal  varying  as  the  tempera- 
ture of    the  zones,  and   fickle  as  the  winds. 


88  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

The  conception  of  character  underlying  the 
assumption  is  negative;  but  in  morals,  as 
elsewhere,  "nature  abhors  a  vacuum."  Char- 
acter is  positive. 

To  suppose  that  one  becomes  a  Christian 
merely  by  participating  in  religious  ceremo- 
nies, is  to  confound  rites  with  righteousness: 
as  did  those  who  plotted  the  death  of  our 
Saviour,  but  would  not  enter  Pilate's  judg- 
ment hall,  lest  they  should  be  defiled,  afxd 
unfit  to  eat  the  passover.  The  character 
developed  in  habitual  performances  regarded 
as  sacred  may  be  either  that  of  a  hypo- 
crite who  deceives  others,  or  of  a  formalist 
who  deceives  himself. 

Christian  character  is  sometimes  regarded 
as  an  accumulation  of  creditable  deeds. 
Good  actions  must  never  be  decried  ;  the 
world  needs  more,  not  less,  of  them.  No 
infidel  ever  harmed  the  church  of  Christ  as 
it  has  been  injured  by  those  who  "profess 
that  they  know  God,  but  in  works  deny  Him, 
-being  abominable,  and  disobedient,  and  unto 
every  good  work  reprobate."  But  generous 
actions  may  spring  from  ungenerous  mo- 
tives; the  kiss  of  pretended  affection  may 
be  given  by  a  Judas.     Not    long   ago,  the 


Christian  Character  the  Test.  89 

Superintendent  of  a  Sunday  School,  who 
was  also  habitually  a  participant  in  prayer 
meetings,  was  convicted  of  fraud,  and  com- 
mitted to  prison.  After  his  mask  was  so 
suddenly  removed,  he  declared  that  he  never 
believed  in  the  religion  he  professed.  He 
had  pretended  to  be  converted  and  to  be 
very  zealous,  because  in  the  church  with 
which  he  united  there  was  a  wealthy  gentle- 
man who  took  much  interest  in  worthy 
young  men,  and  established  several  in  busi- 
ness; and  this  imposter  hoped  to  secure 
similar  help.  Felix  often  communed  with 
Paul,  hoping  the  prisoner  would  ofTer  a  bribe 
for  his  freedom. 

Good  deeds  may  be  the  indices  of  Chris- 
tian graces,  a  strong  and  lofty  pyramid, 
built  up  of  "  living  stones  "  and  resting  on 
the  "  Rock  of  Ages,"  To  the  faith  which 
constitutes  the  Christian,  may  be  added 
"virtue,  knowledge,  temperance,  patience, 
godliness,  brotherly-kindness,  charity."  Or 
a  character  may  re.semble  a  cairn,  which, 
in  some  countries  marks  the  spot  where  a 
murder  has  been  committed  and  the  victim 
buried  ;  a  heap  of  stones  carelessly  tossed 
together    without  order ;  worthless  pebbles 


go  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

over  a  decaying  corpse — the  memorial  of  a 
crime. 

That  which  is  built  up  from  without  is 
artificial  and  mechanical ;  a  genuine  religious 
character  is  an  organism.  The  dead  branch 
may  serve  as  a  rod  ;  only  the  living  branch 
grows;  the  Power  that  caused  Aaron's  rod 
to  bud   alone  can   impart  life  to  the  dead. 

Facts  pertaining  to  Christianity  may  be 
perceived  with  no  more  moral  responsive- 
ness than  is  involved  in  the  perception  that 
the  tides  flow  and  the  grass  grows.  Grand 
truths  essential  to  the  Gospel  as  the  revela- 
tion of  God  to  man,  and  the  recognition  of 
God  by  man, — that  God  is  love,  and  that 
He  sent  His  Son  to  save  men  from  the 
power  and  guilt  of  sin, — may  convince  the 
understanding,  and  yet  no  more  awaken  the 
slumbering  soul  than  does  the  assurance 
that  "a  whole  is  equal  io  all  its  parts."  The 
"golden  rule"  may  be  accepted  by  the 
reason  as  the  true  principle  of  conduct,  and 
yet  have  no  more  effect  upon  the  hardened, 
selfish  heart  than  does  the  "rule  of  three." 
The  seat  of  character  is  deeper  than  the  in- 
tellect. And  yet  religion  is  not  mere  feeling. 
Love  is  not  emotion  but  devotion. 


Christian   Character  the  Test.  91 

The  winters  of  some  portions  of  our 
Northern  States  are  occasionally  interrupted 
by  "  thaws."  The  snow  dissolves,  the  ice 
melts,  the  frost  "leaves  the  ground;"  a 
stranger  would  suppose  that  spring  had 
come.  But  a  single  night  brings  back  all 
the  rigor  of  v/inter.  The  "  cold  waves  "  of 
air  from  polar  regions  bind  up  the  streams, 
and  harden  the  earth  Hke  a  rock.  So  there 
are  men  (affected  perhaps  by  the  example 
of  others),  whose  hearts  seem  ready  to 
yield  to  the  beams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteous- 
ness :  their  icy  natures  appear  to  melt ; — 
but  soon  the  wintry  blasts  rage  with  all 
their  former  violence.  When  the  soul  in 
reality  yields  to  the  power  of  the  Sun,  "  the 
winter  is  past,  the  rain  is  over  and  gone,  the 
flowers  appear  on  the  earth,  the  time  of  the 
singing  of  birds  is  come." 

By  "  Christian  character,"  when  specified 
as  the  "  test  of  fellowship,"  is  not  meant 
mature  spiritual  development.  The  apostle 
who  urges  growth  "  in  grace  and  the  knowl- 
edge of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ" 
is  speaking  "to  them  that  have  obtained 
hke  precious  faith  with  us."  As  the  mother 
nourishes  and   protects    the  infant,   so   the 


92  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

church  receives  those  who  are  "  babes  in 
Christ ;  "  and  within  its  pale  they  "grow  up 
in  Him." 

To  attempt  to  fix  the  conditions  of  fellow- 
ship in  such  way  as  to  require  a  certain  de- 
gree of  improvement  in  propriety  of  man- 
ners, or  of  spiritual  growth,  would  be  im- 
practicable. It  would  be  impossible  to  de- 
termine the  size  of  the  cairn  in  one  case,  or 
the  height  of  the  pyramid  in  the  other. 
The  qualifications  for  admission  must  be  re- 
cognized more  distinctly  and  definitely. 

By  "  Christian  character  "  is  meant  THAT 
CHARACTER  WHICH  IS  IMMEDIATELY  AT- 
TAINED IN  THE  EXERCISE  OF  SAVING  FAITH 

IN  THE  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  exercise  of  faith  involves  the  surren- 
der of  ourselves  to  Him,  including  not  only 
repentance,  but  obedience  and  trust ;  if  we 
yield  ourselves  to  the  Lord,  we  heed  alike 
His  precepts  and  His  promises. 

Impenitence  is  the  refusal  to  surrender 
our  will  (that  is  ourselves)  to  Christ.  Hence 
He  said  to  some  who  rejected  Him,  "Ye 
WILL  NOT  come  to  Me,  that  ye  might  have 
life;"  and  He  gave  assurance  of  the  highest 
knowledge  to  "  any  man   that  WILLETH   to 


Christ ia?i   Character  the  Test.  93 

do  God's  will."  In  the  choice  of  the  "good 
part  "  the  human  will  is  both  actively  and 
passively  devoted  to  the  Divine  will.  In 
the  Lord's  Prayer  we  are  taught  to  say  "  Thy 
will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven."  We 
pray  that  God's  will  may  be  done  BY  our- 
selves and  all  men.  In  the  garden  of  Geth- 
semane  our  Saviour  used  the  same  lan- 
guage,— "  Thy  will  be  done ;  but  here  it  is 
modified  by  the  words  preceding — "  If  this 
cup  may  not  pass  from  me  except  I  drink  it." 
As  His  disciples,  we,  even  though  "  the  flesh 
is  weak,"  desire  that  God's  will  be  done  IN 
us;  or  as  expressed  in  the  familiar  verse — 

"  Thy  will  be  done,  though  in  mine  own  undoing." 

The  choice  of  God's  will  as  the  rule  of 
life  is  man's  act.  But  more  than  this  is  in- 
volved in  "passing  from  death  •  unto  life." 
When  Solomon  dedicated  the  temple  to  the 
Most  High,  He  accepted  it,  and  it  was  filled 
with  His  glory.  As  a  "temple"  the  Chris- 
tian is  dedicated  to  the  Lord'^s  service,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit  accepts  and  fills  that  temple. 
As  light  supersedes  darkness,  so  the  Divine 
Presence  in  the  devoted  heart  dwells  where 
before  earthly  and  sinful  loves  had  supreme 


94  Fi've  Cardinal  Principles. 

sway.  The  affections  are  renewed  by  the 
grace  and  power  of  the  Saviour. 

So  that  "  Christian  character  or  vdtal  piety  " 
is  not  merely  man's  voluntary  submission  to 
the  will  of  God  ;  it  is  the  product  of  the  unre- 
sisted operation  of  the  Divine  Spirit  on  the 
heart.  "  As  many  as  received  Him,  to  them 
gave  He  power  [the  prerogative]  to  become 
the  sons  of  God."  They  are  "  born  of  God." 
"  Vital  piety  "  is  not  the  result  of  the  gift  of 
a  nev/  nature,  but  of  being  "partakers  of  the 
Divine  nature."  There  is  no  d?^/<2y  in  the  en- 
trance of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Simultaneously 
with  the  removal  of  the  obstruction,  the 
sunlight  which  bathed  the  outer  wall,  illu- 
minates the  room.  The  penitent  surrender 
of  the  will  to  God  secures  forgiveness;  and 
forgiveness  must  of  necessity  be  instanta- 
neous. 

But,  although  the  Lord  knows  wJien  the 
door  of  the  soul  is  open  to  receive  Him,  and 
instantly  enters,  it  may  be  long  before  men 
are  convinced  that  the  "  wicked  man  has 
turned  away  from  his  wickedness."  Even 
the  disciples  suspected  the  genuineness  of 
the  conversion  of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  until  Bar- 
nabas,   that    "  Son    of   Consolation,"    inter- 


Christian   Character  the  Test.  95 

posed  to  satisfy  them  that  their  former  per- 
secutor was  "a  new  man  in  Christ  Jesus." 
As  soon  as  the  Christian  church  has  reason 
to  believe,  "  in  the  judgment  of  charity," 
that  one  is  "  born  of  God,"  it  bids  him  wel- 
come as  a  member  of  the  "  household  of 
faith." 

The  declaration  that  Christian  character 
"is  the  test  of  fellowship  and  of  church 
membership,"  implies  that  all  who  are  re- 
garded as  worthy  of  "  fellowship"  as  follow- 
ers of  Christ,  are  also  fit  to  be  members  of 
the  church.  ^hWt  ^  formal  distinction  be- 
tween such  "  fellowship  "  and  "  church  mem- 
bership "  is  recognized,  no  moral  difference 
is  acknowledged.  If  one  is  a  Christian,  he 
is  not  only  to  be  loved  and  trusted  as  such 
outside  the  door  of  the  church,  but  within  it. 

The  objection  is  sometimes  urged  that  the 
churches  of  the  Christian  connection  have 
no  way  of  determining  whether  an  applicant 
for  vc\&vc\\i&x'^\'^  possesses  a  Christian  charac- 
ter. And  it  must  be  conceded  that  it  is  not 
as  easy  to  decide  that  a  man  has  a  "  clean 
heart"  as  it  is  that  he  has  clean  hands  ;  or 
that  he  loves  God  as  that  he  has  confessed 
to  a  priest.     It  may  readily  be   proved  that 


96  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

a  candidate  for  admission  to  the  Lord's 
table  has  been  immersed  in  water,  when  "  the 
washing  of  regeneration  and  the  renewing 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  "  may  not  be  obvious. 
If  merely  ritualistic  conditions  are  regarded, 
it  is  easy  to  determine  who  may,  and  who 
may  not,  be  admitted  to  the  privileges  of 
members  of  the  church.  But  as  regards  the 
special  objection  urged,  on  the  point  where 
the  difficulty  lies,  the  churches  of  the  Chris- 
stian  connection  do  not  differ,  in  any  res- 
pect whatever,  from  such  other  evangelical 
churches  as  rigorously  apply  doctrinal  tests. 
In  one  case,  Christian  character  alone  is  the 
criterion;  in  the  other  Christian  character 
and  belief  in  certain  doctrines.  If  one  has  the 
duty  of  deciding  whether  a  candidate  pos- 
sesses the  requisite  spiritual  qualification, 
the  other  has  that  duty,  and  the  additional 
task  of  determining  whether  the  applicant — 
(in  many  cases  a  person  of  immature  years, 
or  of  habits  of  mind  totally  unfitted  to  dis- 
cuss abstract  themes) — has  correct  opinipns 
on  points  of  doctrine  concerning  which  the 
best,  the  most  learned  and  the  wisest  of  men 
widely  differ;  perhaps  on  subjects  including 


Christian  Character  the  Test.  97 

the  "  things  which  the  angels  desire  to  look 
into."  No  church  has  exclusive  possession 
of  spiritual  mercury,  to  separate  the  pre- 
cious gold  from  the  worthless  dross. 

As  an  incidental  aid  in  determining  one's 
spiritual  fitness  for  admittance  to  the  church, 
the  applicant  might,  without  violation  of  the 
principle  propounded,  be  questioned  on 
those  truths  universally  recognized  as  essen- 
tial to  the  Christian  religion.  And  doctrinal 
tests  are  regarded  as  objectionable  when  ap- 
plied to  opinions  concerning  which  men  of 
acknowledged  piety  differ,  and  not  to  truths 
in  which  they  agree.  Vital  orthodoxy  is 
involved  in  "  vital  piety." 

To  guard  against  the  danger  of  a  mis- 
guided and  false  application  of  the  principle 
of  tolerance  now  under  discussion,  it  may  be 
necessary  to  remark  that  the  arrogant  and 
offensive  dogmatist,  who  vehemently  urges 
his  pet  theories  to  the  annoyance  of  the 
brethren,  as  distinct  from  the  faithful  and 
affectionate  presentation  of  religious  truth 
in  its  various  aspects  and  applications,  can- 
not claim  admittance  to  the  church  on  the 
ground  of  "  Christian  character."  He  ha- 
7 


98  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

bitually  violates  the  "  golden  rule,"  and  the 
precept  to  "  follow  after  the  things  which 
make  for  peace,  and  the  things  whereby  one 
may  edify  another." 

Respecting  the  "ordinances  "of  the  church, 
it  may  suffice  to  remark  that  Christian  char- 
acter is  the  title  alike  to  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper.  These  ordinances  are  evi- 
dently designed  as  helps  to  the  Christian  in 
living  a  devoted  life.  The  memory  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  is  precious  to  all  who  serve  Him  ; 
and  the  communion  service  makes  vivid  the 
conception  of  His  love  and  sacrifice.  The 
value  of  the  observance  does  not  depend  on 
any  antecedent  ordinance.  Who  could  im- 
agine our  Saviour  reproving  a  "weak"  dis- 
ciple for  REMEMJiERING  HiM,  or  for  seeking 
by  the  help  of  the  memorial  supper  to 
realize  more  clearly  His  words  of  grace  and 
His  power  to  save  from  sin?  The  question 
concerning  the  relative  order  in  which  the 
two  ordinances  should  be  observed,  is  of  no 
more  significance  than  the  child's  query — 
"Shall  I  kiss  mamma  before  or  after  I  say 
'Good  morning'?"  The  ordinances  are  of  value 
simply  as  they  serve  to  express  and  increase 


Christian  Character  the  Test.  99 

the  heart's  devotion  to  the  Lord  ;  and  any 
merely  mechanical,  formal  or  arbitrary  ad- 
justment of  them  must  tend  to  rob  them 
of  their  power  to  bless  the  soul. 

"  The  cardinal  principles  of  the  Christian 
church"  are  intimately  related.  Logically, 
they  stand  or  fall  together.  As  a  sect  that 
rejects  Him  who  is  "the  only  Head  of  the 
Church  "  cannot  with  propriety  assume  His 
name,  so  those  who  decline  "party  names" 
should  welcome  to  their  particular  spiritual 
household  all  who  "are  of  the  household  of 
God." 

The  Convention,  by  an  ample  statement 
of  the  "  Sentiments  of  the  Church,"  at  once 
indicates  the  doctrine  that  is  usually  preached 
by  Christian  ministers,  and  to  some  extent 
guards  its  purity.  With  an  evangelical  min- 
istry and  a  regenerate  membership,  no  fear 
is  felt  of  "  false  doctrine,  heresy  and  schism." 

The  substance  of  this  paper,  written  in 
compliance  with  a  request  to  define  "  What 
we,  as  a. Church,  mean  by  the  declaration 
that  'Christian  character,  or  vital  piety,  is  a 
just,  and  should  be  the  only  test,'"  may  be 
thus   briefly  stated :  Christian   character  as 


lOO  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

instantaneously  attained  in  the  exercise  of 
true  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  a 
spiritual  birth  effected  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  is  the  essential  prerequisite  for 
admission  to  the  ordinances  and  fellowship 
of  the  Church. 


Private  Judgment.  loi 

PRIVATE   JUDGMENT.  THE  RIGHT 
AND  DUTY  OF  EVERY  BELIEVER. 


Sermon  by  Prof.  Martyn  Summerbell,  M.  A., 
of  New  York  City. 


Then  Peter  and  the  other  apostles  answered  and  said  : 
"  We  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than  men."  (Acts  v  :  29.) 

When  the  Christian  Church  in  America 
advances,  as  one  of  its  cardinal  principles, 
the  doctrine  of  the  right  of  private  judg- 
ment in  matters  of  opinion,  it  is  simply  re- 
peating one  of  the  fundamental  principles 
of  the  Protestant  Reformation,  and  also  re- 
affirming the  declaration  of  the  Apostles, 
when  summoned  before  the  Sanhedrin  for 
preaching  Jesus — "  We  ought  to  obey  God 
rather  than  men."  Somewhere,  humanly 
speaking,  a  final  appeal  in  matters  of  reli- 
gious debate  must  lie. 

In  the  judgment  of  the  Apostles,  and  in 
ours,  that  high  tribunal  is,  not  the  Sanhedrin, 
supreme  authority  for  the  Jewish  hierarchy 
though  it  be  ;  not  a  bench  of  bishops  clad 
with  Apostolic  powers  as  legitimate  succes- 
sors and  representatives  of  the  Apostles ; 
not  an  infallible  Pope,  lording  it  over  God's 


I02  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

heritage  with  ex  cathedra  ecclesiastical  ful- 
minations ;  not  any  man,  nor  any  body  of 
men,  acting  in  their  own  authority  or  by  au- 
thority of  others,  but  simply  and  only  the 
conscience  of  the  individual  believer,  as  it 
hearkens  for  the  voice  of  God,  and  rever- 
ently endeavors  to  obey  his  word.  Believ- 
ing that  right  there,  in  the  individual  con- 
science, resides  the  court  of  last  resort,  the 
Christian  Church,  in  common  with  all  Prot- 
estants, asserts  private  judgment  to  be  the 
right  and  duty  of  every  believer.  In  expla- 
nation of  this  principle  we  will  consider  the 
view  of  the  Christian  Church  respecting  pri- 
vate judgment  and  the  methods  of  its  exer- 
cise, so  far  as  these  afTect  the  churches  and 
individual  Christians. 

"  We  must  obey  God  rather  than  men,"  say 
Peter  and  the  other  apostles.  Please  observe 
the  nature  of  this  protest  and  the  grounds  on 
which  it  rests.  Peter  and  the  others  have 
come  to  open  conflict  with  the  highest  au- 
thority known  in  the  Jewish  nation.  The 
great  Sanhedrin,  which  has  full  charge  of  all 
religious  affairs,  which  settles  all  disputes, 
which  punishes  with  stoning,  with  behead- 
ing, with  hanging  or  with  burning,  has  com- 


Private  Judgment.  103 

manded  them  not  to  speak  or  teach  in  the 
name  of  Jesus. 

It  now  accuses  them  of  contempt  for  its 
august  decree,  and  complains  that  they  have 
filled  Jerusalem  with  their  doctrine,  with 
evident  intention  of  making  the  Holy  City, 
and  the  Sanhedrin  itself,  guilty  of  the  blood 
of  Jesus.  The  charge  is  explicit  and  grave. 
If  substantiated,  it  implies  on  the  part  of 
the  Apostles  a  disregard  for  the  religious 
convictions  of  their  countrymen,  as  well  as 
scorn  for  the  Sanhedrin  itself,  which  sways 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  powers,  and  resistance 
to  which,  in  Jewish  eyes,  combines  sacrilege 
with  high  treason.  What  shall  they  answer? 
We  listen  and  catch  the  substance  of  their 
plea — "  We  must  obey  God  rather  than 
men." 

Here  by  implication  we  find  a  claim  that 
God  speaks  to  men,  and  to  individual  men. 
In  some  way  the  Divine  Will  penetrates  the 
secret  places  of  their  hearts.  They  have 
felt  God's  power,  heard  His  speech,  and  real- 
ized the  momentum  of 

"  Truths  that  wake 

To  perish  never." 

So  fixed  is  their  assurance  that  it  was  God 


104  -FzW  Cardinal  Principles. 

talking  with  them,  that  they  are  constrained 
to  relax  their  customary  submission  to  au- 
thorities, and  to  expose  themselves  to  every 
trial  and  every  terror  of  persecution,  rather 
than  ignore  the  evident  will  of  the  Almighty. 
They  must  uphold  the  truth  as  God  has  re- 
vealed it  to  them.  So  they  aflfirm  and  re- 
affirm— "We  must  obey  God  rather  than 
men." 

Now  God  speaks  to  men  in  various  ways. 
Some  truth  he  makes  known  through  the 
intuitions.  Advanced  philosophers  now 
claim  that  there  are  moral  intuitions,  as  well 
as  those  of  time  and  space.  We  know  that 
effect  follows  cause,  and  so  also  we  know 
that  a  grateful  response  to  a  kindness  is 
right,  and  that  neglect  and  ingratitude  are 
wrong.  We  know  that  the  whole  is  greater 
than  any  of  its  parts,  and  equally  well  we 
know,  and  in  the  same  way,  that  moral  res- 
ponsibility involves  freedom.  Sin  to  be  sin, 
sin  which  weighs  us  down,  is  not  the  sin 
which  we  are  compelled  to  commit,  but  the 
sin  which  we  choose  to  commit.  The  good 
man  of  the  house,  who  defends  his  domicile 
from  a  burglar,  is  not  guilty  when  he  shoots 
the  intruder.     Because   he   acts   under  com- 


Private  Judgment.  105 

pulsion,  the  voice  within  his  soul  commends 
him,  and  the  innate  sense  of  justice,  as  crys- 
tallized  in  common  law,  sustains  him. 

And  God  speaks  to  men  through  sense 
perception.  A  universe  stretches  before  the 
thinking  soul,  vast,  complicate,  and  yet  in 
every  part  ruled  by  exact  principle,  which 
some  call  law,  but  which  those  who  walk 
with  God  perceive  to  be  the  will  and  direc- 
tion of  the  Creator.  Out  of  this  universe 
of  spaces  and  forces  and  worlds  and  living 
creatures,  and  man  made  in  the  image  of 
God,  stream  influences  which,  as  the  soul 
wills,  may  move  it  toward  good  or  toward 
evil.  From  this  outer  world  come  appeals 
to  passion,  lures  toward  self-centred  greed, 
and  incentives  to  vaulting  ambition.  P'rom 
the  same  outer  world  come  also  combina- 
tions of  form  and  color  and  useful  purpose, 
which  rouse  the  soul  to  appreciation  of  de- 
light in  beauty;  associations  which  become 
incentives  to  tender  and  unselfish  affection  ; 
views  of  order  and  adaptation  and  correla- 
tion of  plan  and  accomplishment  through- 
out the  creation  of  matter  and  mind,  which 
insensibly  lead  up  from  admiration  for  the 
works  of  nature  to  a  devout  reliance  on  na- 


io6  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

tufe's  God.  The  charm  of  the  summer  land- 
scape, the  voice  of  the  birds  in  forest  and 
meadow  chanting  their  morning  psalm,  the 
cool  hush  of  evening,  when  the  starry 
heavens  invite  to  peaceful  meditation  on 
man's  weakness  as  a  child  of  the  dust,  and 
his  infinite  majesty  as  a  child  of  God,  the 
moral  questions  which  agitate  our  social 
world,  summoning  us  to  decide  for  justice 
against  oppression,  for  righteousness  against 
iniquity,  for  truth  against  lies  ;  all  these  are 
Divine  voices,  summoning  the  soul  to  cast 
off  its  shackles  and  stand  in  all  its  possible 
glory  as  heir  of  eternity. 

But  chief  of  all,  God  speaks  to  man  in  His 
Son  and  in  His  Holy  Word.  The  Apostles, 
as  disciples,  sit  at  Jesus'  feet.  Wonderful 
the  effect  of  His  presence  on  all  who  ap- 
proach Him.  Rude  oflficers  of  the  tem- 
ple, sent  to  apprehend  Him,  return  saying, — 
"  Never  man  spake  like  this  man."  Under 
His  teaching  the  toilers  of  the  sea  become 
fishers  of  men — Christ's  love  in  their  hearts, 
God's  word  on  their  lips.  They  follow 
not  cunningly  devised  fables,  but  are  eye- 
witnesses of  His  majesty.  All  the  divinity 
in  their  souls,  pledge  of  their  kinship  with 


Private  Judgment.  107 

God,  responds  to  Christ's  gentleness  and 
purity  and  truth. 

By  the  wisdom  which  illuminated  the 
darkest  problems,  and  by  the  power  which 
ruled  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men,  they 
recognized  Him  as  the  Messiah  long  sought, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God.  After  His  res- 
urrection and  ascension,  if  ever  a  doubt 
had  beclouded  judgment,  the  outpouring  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
swept  it  away.  What  He  had  declared  to 
them  was  the  teaching  of  God.  They 
could  not  gainsay  it.  They  could  not 
bury  it  out  of  remembrance.  Though  all 
all  courts  should  enjoin  them,  and  all  thrones 
command  them  to  silence,  they  are  con- 
strained to  say — "  We  must  obey  God  rather 
than  men." 

In  the  centuries,  however,  since  Christ  has 
ascended  to  glory,  God  speaks  to  man  most 
clearly  by  His  Holy  Spirit  through  the  Scrip- 
tures. These  embody  so  much  of  His  pur- 
pose as  He  has  determined  to  disclose.  They 
reveal  the  course  of  His  gracious  providence 
in  the  history  of  nations  and  men.  They 
establish  the  basis  of  moral  and  civil  law. 
They  declare  His  purpose  of  amazing  grace 


io8  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

in  the  gift  of  His  Son,  by  whose  life,  and 
death,  and  resurrection,  sinners  have  promise 
of  redemption  and  everlasting  life.  Surely 
this  Bible  is  a  light  that  shineth  in  a  dark 
place,  until  the  day  dawn  and  the  day-star 
arise  in  your  hearts.  Speak  of  diversity; 
sixty-six  books  go  to  its  making,  involving 
all  styles  from  the  simple  speech  of  shep- 
herds to  the  profoundest  thoughts  that  surge 
in  the  mind  of  a  Job,  an  Isaiah,  a  Paul  or  a 
John  in  the  rapture  of  his  apocalyptic  vision  ; 
and  yet  from  the  initial  Beth,  in  the  first 
book,  to  the  Nu  final  in  the  last,  there 
breathes  one  moral  purpose,  one  Divine  aim 
in  helping  humanity,  one  thought  of  God  as 
man's  best  friend  and  father.  Test  this  state- 
ment as  closely  as  you  will.  Make  it  a  study 
to  learn  what  thought  of  morality  and  Deity 
prevails  where  this  book  is  read  and  be- 
lieved, and  what,  where  it  is  driven  out  of 
common  life  and  common  mind.  Where  it 
is  not  read  you  shall  find  morality  at  a  low 
ebb,  honor  a  term  of  empty  fuss  and  swag- 
ger, virtue  a  pretence,  and  God  and  heaven 
names  to  swear  by  in  every  breath.  But 
where  this  book  is  read  and  loved,  lying  and 
trickery  are  hated,  men   can  trust  their  fel- 


Private  Judgment.  109 

lows  in  deed  or  in  word,  and  life  and  reli- 
gion become  sacred  under  the  conviction  of 
God's  searching  knowledge  of  iniquity,  and 
His  certain  recompense  for  goodness. 

And  all  these  voices  of  God  speak  to  the 
individual  man.  The  world  within  and  the 
world  without  to  me  are  darkness  until  God 
brings  me  light.  The  Apostles  in  the  lesson 
were  responsible  for  the  truths  which  God 
had  set  in  celestial  radiance  before  the  eyes 
of  their  soul.  Remark  this  in  this  convic- 
tion of  the  revelation  of  Christ.  Peter  was 
convinced  of  Christ's  Messiahship.  As  God' 
had  traced  with  his  finger  the  Ten  Words  on 
Moses*  stone  tables^  so  he  had  written  this 
knowledge  of  Christ  on  Peter's  heart. 
"  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-Jona,"  said 
Jesus,  "  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed 
it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father,  which  is  in 
heaven."  Others  had  seen  the  Lord,  had 
witnessed  his  miracles  and  heard  His  gracious 
words,  but  all  these  things  God  had  set  in 
order  in  Peter's  soul,  so  that  he  beheld  the 
Saviour's  glory.  It  is  much  the  same  with 
all  the  varieties  of  truth  through  which  God 
speaks  to  us.  Here  is  this  Bible.  How  rare 
the  book.     And  it  is  most  rare  in  this,  that 


1 10  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

as  we  read  it  God  brings  us  continually  to 
richer  treasures  of  knowledge.  The  famous 
Dr.  Kennicott  was  thirty  years  writing  his 
commentary.  It  was  his  practice  to  ride  out 
with  his  wife  on  pleasant  days,  when  she 
would  read  the  portion  of  Scripture  on  which 
he  was  preparing  the  comment.  At  last  the 
book  was  done,  the  last  page  written.  As 
usual  they  take  their  daily  ride. 

"  What  book  shall  I  take  to-day,  Doctor?" 
asks  his  faithful  wife. 

"Oh!  "  said  he,  "  Let  us  begin  the  Bible." 
After  thirty  years  of  closest  scrutiny  it  was 
still  full  of  interest,  possibly  replete  with 
profounder  interest  than  ever  before. 

So  Luther  studied  the  Bible  diligently  and 
assiduously.  He  pursued  a  special  investi- 
gation of  Romans  and  Galatians.  With  his 
mind  intent  on  the  Sacred  Word  he  goes  to 
Rome,  As  yet  old  associations  and  teach- 
ings cramp  his  intellect  and  fetter  his  judg- 
ment. Yonder  is  Pilate's  staircase.  The 
story  goes  that  it  has  been  translated  by 
miracle  from  Jerusalem  to  Rome,  and  that 
those  marble  steps  were  trodden  by  our 
blessed  Lord,  when  he  was  led  into  Pilate's 
judgment  hall.  Pilgrims  in  Rome  from  every 


Private  Judgment.  1 1 1 

part  of  the  world  believe  the  fable,  and  so 
crawl  up  the  staircase  on  their  knees.  Lu- 
ther believes  and  acts  with  the  rest,  only  he 
climbs  but  half  way.  See  him  there,  pain- 
fully mounting,  like  a  slave  bowed  under  a 
burden.  Superstition  crushes  him  down. 
But  see  !  he  rises.  He  stands  upon  his  feet. 
He  turns  and  hurries  like  a  man  down  the 
stair.  How  now,  brother  Martin  ?  God  has 
spoken  to  him.  As  it  had  been  the  voice  of 
an  angel  this  text  flashed  upon  his  mind, 
"  The  just  shall  live  by  faith  ;"  and  God  then 
and  there  taught  him  its  application,  that  he 
was  not  to  trust  for  salvation  in  dead  works, 
or  in  penance,  or  in  mortifications  of  the 
flesh,  but  only  in  faith  in  the  Son  of  God. 
That  was  God's  revelation  to  Luther's  soul, 
God's  enforcement  of  Biblical  truth  to  set 
him  free  from  the  bondage  of  error. 

In  reference  to  all  these  teachings  of  God, 
in  reference  to  general  truth,  and  especially 
in  reference  to  truth  as  it  is  revealed  in  Holy 
Scripture,  it  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Protestant 
Reformation,  and  a  doctrine  particularly 
emphasized  by  the  Christian  Church,  that 
the  interpretation  of  truth  by  private  judg- 
ment is  the  right  and  duty  of  every  believer. 


1 1 2  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

On  this  very  point  hinges  tiie  question 
between  Protestanism  and  Romanism.  The 
practice  of  Rome  through  all  the  years  since 
the  growth  of  the  Papacy  has  been  to  rely 
upon  the  Scriptures  and  tradition.  The  Bible 
was  the  regula  fidei,  the  rule  of  faith  :  but  so 
only  as  it  was  interpreted  by  the  fathers  and 
the  church.  The  true  faith,  according  to 
Rome,  is  not  the  faith  which  the  believer 
reads  for  himself  in  the  Word  of  God,  but 
what  the  great  councils  in  creeds  and  de- 
crees declare  the  Bible  to  teach  ;  or  what 
the  Pope,  sitting  in  Peter's  chair  as  vicege- 
rent of  Christ,  pronounces  to  be  the  faith  of 
the  church. 

So  reads  the  creed  of  Pope  Pius  IV :  "  I 
also  admit  the  Holy  Scriptures  according 
to  that  sense  which  our  holy  mother,  the 
Church,  has  held,  and  does  hold,  to  which  it 
belongs  to  judge  of  the  true  sense  and  inter- 
pretation of  the  Scriptures.  Neither  will  I 
ever  take  and  interpret  them  otherwise  tljan 
according  to  the  unanimous  consent  of  the 
fathers." 

With  similar  reliance  on  tradition  the 
Council  of  Trent  denounces  every  one  who, 
"co.ifiding  in  his  own  judgment,  shall  dare 


Private  Judgment.  113 

to  wrest  the  sacred  Scriptures  to  his  own 
sense  of  them,"  and  proceeds  to  declare  it  is 
the  right  of  holy  mother  church — "  to  judge 
of  the  true  meaning  and  interpretation  of 
Sacred  Writ." 

Luther,  Calvin,  Zwingle,  and  all  the  Re- 
formers met  this  position  with  the  challenge 
of  absolute  contradiction.  They  charged 
that  to  entrust  the  church  with  the  right  to 
decide  for  the  believer  what  the  Bible  teaches 
would  stultify  conscience,  and  subordinate 
the  Bible  to  the  church.  Instead  of  this 
the  Bible  should  be  supreme,  controversies 
should  be  decided,  not  by  Bible  and  tradi- 
tion, but  by  Bible  only,  and  believers  should 
seek  its  meaning  not  from  the  parish  priest, 
but  from  diligent  study  of  the  book  itj-elf  as 
interpreted  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  the 
theory  of  Protestanism,  wliich  all  the  great 
symbols  state  in  enequivocal  terms.  The 
Augsburg  Confession,  1530,  beside  quoting 
various  Scriptures  to  substantiate  the  right 
of  churches  to  refuse  submission  to  bishops, 
who  teach  or  determine  anything  contrary 
to  the  gospel,  quotes  from  Augustine : 
"  Neither  must  we  subscribe  to  Catholic 
bishops,  if  they  chance  to  err,  or  determine 


1 1 4  Five  Cardi?ial  Principles. 

anything  contrary  to  the  canonical  divine 
scriptures." 

The  Formula  of  Concord,  1576,  begins 
with  this  unmistakable  language:  "We  be- 
lieve, cotifess  and  teach  that  the  only  true 
rule  and  norm,  according  to  which  all  dog- 
mas and  all  doctors  ought  to  be  determined 
and  judged,  is  no  other  whatever  than  the 
prophetic  and  apostolic  writings  of  the  Old 
and  of  the  New  Testament." 

The  First  Helvetic  Confession,  1536, 
states  the  doctrine  briefly  but  clearly — I 
translate  from  the  parallel  Latin  and  Ger- 
man document,  Art.  2:  "These  holy  and 
sacred  Scriptures  shall  be  interpreted  and 
explained  by  themselves  only,  under  the 
guidance  of  faith  and  love." 

The  Westminster  Confession,  which  de- 
votes its  first  chapter  to  an  exhaustive  dis- 
cussion of  Holy  Scripture,  in  the  loth  Arti- 
cle, uses  this  explicit  language :  "  The  Su- 
preme Judge  by  which  all  controversies  of 
religion  are  to  be  determined,  and  all  de- 
crees of  councils,  opinions  of  ancient  writers, 
doctrines  of  men  and  private  spirits,  are  to 
be  examined,  and  in  whose  sentence  we  are 


Private  Judgment.  1 1 5 

to  rest,  can  be  no  other  but  the  Holy  Spirit 
speaking  in  Scripture." 

Thus  church  after  church,  breaking  away 
from  the  thraldom  of  the  papacy,  asserted  its 
independence.  In  every  case  the  appeal  lay 
to  Scripture  and  conscience.  As  Schleier- 
macher  draws  the  distinction:  "  Protestan- 
ism  makes  the  relation  of  the  individual  to 
the  church  dependent  on  his  relation  to 
Christ ;  Catholicism,  vice  versa,  makes  the  re- 
lation of  the  individual  to  Christ  dependent 
on  his  relation  to  the  church." 

Of  this  latter  arrangement  the  Reformers 
would  have  none.  Their  final  plea  was  an 
explicit  declaration  of  the  Word  of  God,  no 
matter  what  the  Church  had  said.  With  re- 
freshing uniformity  they  denied  the  right  of 
any  person  or  persons,  singly  or  collectively, 
individually  or  officially,  to  interpret  that 
book  for  any  believer  so  as  to  bind  his  con- 
science. Contrariwise  they  affirmed  that 
God  had  invested  every  Christian  with  the 
right  to  search  the  Scriptures  for  himself,  and 
moreover,  lays  it  upon  him  as  a  sacred  trust 
to  investigate  and  establish  the  grounds  of 
his  individual  faith. 

Protestants  claim  that  private   judgment 


Ii6  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

is  a  right  because  of  the  glorious  freedom  of 
the  Christian  faith.  Through  all  the  gos- 
pels and  the  epistles  rings  the  triumphant 
song  of  liberty  in  Christ.  Old  things  are 
passed  away ;  the  cumbrous  law,  the  com- 
mandment of  death,  the  subjection  to  place 
in  the  temple  worship,  and  to  time  in  the 
set  festivals,  and  to  form  in  an  ironclad 
ritual,  and  to  a  man  in  the  priest  standing 
at  the  altar,  demanding  that  all  who  ap- 
proach God  shall  send  their  petitions  through 
him ;  and  behold,  all  things  are  become 
new;  a  new  temple,  the  retreat  of  a  true 
heart  in  which  God  dwells  by  his  Spirit,  a 
new  church  in  which  every  believer  is  him- 
self a  king  and  a  priest  unto  God,  a  new  law 
under  which  sacrifices  arc  not  the  blood  of 
bulls  and  goats,  but  the  spiritual  sacrifices 
of  love  and  faith  and  penitence  and  broth- 
erly kindness,  and  a  new  relationship  in 
which  man  no  longer  stands  apart  from  God, 
but  draws  nigh  by  a  blessed  faith,  trusting 
in  but  one  Mediator  and  Intercessor,  Jesus 
the  eternal  Son  of  God.  This  glorious 
freedom  releases  from  all  spiritual  subjuga- 
tion. When  men  attempt  to  govern  the 
church    by    an   infallible    law,  or  by  an  in- 


Private  Judgment.  1 1 7 

fallible  pope,  the  Christian  declares  the 
attempt  usurpation,,  and  resists  it.  If 
they  meet  in  councils  and  interpret  his 
faitli  for  him  he  hesitates,  he  compares 
their  teaching  with  the  Bible,  and  if  to  his 
mind  it  is  error,  he  rejects  it.  He  has  this 
privilege.     He  is  a  free  man  in  Christ. 

Private  judgment  is  a  right  moreover  from 
the  necessities  of  the  case.  Religion  is  of 
all  things  individual  and  personal.  Patriot- 
ism, family  affection,  public  spirit,  all  these 
affect  other  men.  So  religion  affects  other 
men,  but  not  primarily.  It  begins  with  God, 
and  its  relation  to  other  men  is  secondary  to 
this,  which  is  always  chief.  Into  this  rela- 
tionship with  God  all  outside  influences  that 
enter  with  pretended  authority  are  intrusion 
and  meddlesomeness.  "  Every  one  of  us," 
exclaims  St.  Paul,  "  shall  give  account  of 
himself  to  God."  With  noble  scorn  he  asks 
of  those  who  question  and  disturb  the 
brethren :  "  Who  art  thou  that  judgest 
another  man's  servant?  to  his  own  master 
he  standeth  or  falleth."  Because  man  must 
answer  for  himself  he  must  decide  for  him- 
self. He  cannot  plead  at  the  judgment  that 
he  went  astray  because  he  was  led  astray  by 


1 1 8  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

the  church,  or  by  the  minister  or  by  the 
creed.  The  responsibility  of  his  soul's  sal- 
vation rests  with  himself,  and  it  is  his  right 
to  know  for  himself  from  the  Word  of  God 
if,  or  if  not,  he  is  following  the  upward  path. 
Private  judgment  is  a  right  which  is  con- 
firmed by  Holy  Scripture.  Nowhere  is  it 
written  that  God's  word  is  addressed  to  the 
exclusive  control  of  the  priesthood,  or  of 
the  church,  to  be  doled  out  to  the  people  as 
the  authorities  may  decide  expedient.  In 
place  of  that  it  is  given  to  the  people,  and 
they  are  strictly  commanded  to  search  and 
know  the  truth.  God  through  Isaiah  de- 
clares— "  If  they  speak  not  according  to 
this  word  it  is  because  there  is  no  light  in 
them."  Jesus  commends  the  Rabbis  who 
search  the  scriptures,  and  St.  Luke  praises 
the  Bereans,  as  "  more  noble  "  than  those  of 
Thessalonica  "  in  that  they  received  the 
word  with  all  readiness  of  mind,  and 
searched  the  Scriptures  daily  whether  these 
things  were  so."  So  again,  the  epistles  are 
directly  dedicated  to  the  brethren.  Look 
up  their  inscriptions  and  you  find  them  writ- 
ten,  not  to  councils  and  conferences  and 
minister's  associations,  but  "  to  the   saints," 


Private  Judgment.  119 

"  to  the  called  of  Jesus  Christ,"  "  to  the 
beloved  of  God"  and  "to  the  faithful  in 
Christ  Jesus." 

And  this  right  of  private  judgment  of 
Holy  Scripture,  which  frees  the  people  from 
the  dictation  of  ecclesiastics,  is  further  es- 
tablished since  the  Bible,  far  from  permit- 
ting teachers  and  preachers  to  consent  to- 
gether to  decide  what  the  people  shall  be- 
lieve, authorizes  the  people  to  judge  for 
themselves  the  teaching  of  their  teachers, 
whether  it  be  according  to  the  word  of  God. 

When  the  Rabbis  refused  to  acknowledge 
his  Messiahship,  Jesus  turned  to  the  peasants 
of  Galilee  to  decide  between  him  and  the 
lawyers,  warning  them  meanwhile  against 
the  leaven  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  and 
against  false  prophets,  who  were  to  be  dis- 
cerned by  their  fruits.  So  St.  Paul  wrote  to 
the  Thessalonians of  prophesyings  ; — "  Prove 
all  things,  hold  fast  that  which  is  good." 
Here  is  intimated  the  double  process  of 
private  judgment ;  first,  a  rule  of  comparison 
by  which  good  is  to  be  determined,  i.  e.,  the 
Holy  Word  ;  and,  second,  an  untrammelled 
conscience,  capable  of  making  judgment  and 
of    rejecting    error.     Another    instance,    if 


1 20  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

anything  still  mere  positive,  appears  in  the 
admonition  to  the  Galatian  brethren,  who 
were  directed  to  investigate  the  claims  of 
Apostles: — "Though  we  or  an  angel  from 
heaven,"  says  St.  Paul,  "preach  any  other 
gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have 
preached  unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed." 
The  Galatians  are  to  test  their  teachers  by 
the  gospel.  If  the  teachers  teach  the  word, 
well.  If  they  deny  the  word  as  it  is  recog- 
nized by  the  consciences  of  the  brethren, 
then  they  are  to  have  no  countenance.  A 
direction  to  the  same  purport  occurs  in  the 
epistle,  where  St.  John  advises:  "Beloved, 
Dclieve  not  every  spirit,  but  try  the  spirits 
whether  they  are  of  God :  because  many 
false  prophets  are  gone  out  into  the  world." 
Private  judgment  consequently  is  a  right,  a 
right  which  every  believer  should  maintain, 
and  which  he  should  permit  no  man,  nor 
any  body  of  men  to  abrogate  or  infringe. 

But  private  judgment  is  more  than  a  right, 
it  is  the  duty  of  every  believer.  This  is 
true  first,  of  all,  because  the  Bible,  being  ad- 
'  dressed  to  all,  should  be  heeded  by  all.  We 
may  look  upon  Holy  Sgripture  as  God's 
message  to  his  people.     Now  when  I  receive 


Private  Judgment.  121 

a  letter  from  a  friend  I  read  it  for  myself 
and  form  my  own  opinion  of  my  friend's 
feelings  and  desires.  If  it  is  written  in  a 
foreign  language,  I  may  engage  some  person 
to  translate  it  for  me,  but  I  would  not  be 
obliged  to  him,  if,  in  place  of  translating  my 
whole  letter,  he  should  give  me  a  scrap  here 
and  a  scrap  there,  telling  me  that  these  con- 
tained all  that  was  of  importance.  My  re- 
spect for  my  friend,  my  respect  for  myself 
would  demand  the  whole  letter.  Is  it  not 
the  same  with  God's  message  to  His  chil- 
dren? It  is  given  us  as  a  whole,  and  even 
if  we  cannot  read  it  in  the  original  tongues, 
we  can  read  it  in  good  translations,  and  we 
owe  it  to  our  Heavenly  Father,  who  has 
honored  us  by  committing  it  to  our  charge, 
to  read  it  and  to  understand  it  as  a  whole, 
bestowing  on  its  perusal  our  best  judgment, 
and  suffering  no  man  to  interpose  anything 
whatever  in  its  place. 

And  private  judgment  is  a  duty  also,  since 
by  its  exercise  only  can  we  arrive  at  a  rich 
and  intelligent  comprehension  of  the  Word 
of  God.  With  Biblical  study,  as  with  other 
pursuits,  we  are  interested  most,  and  we 
learn  most  in  that  to  which  we  have  devoted 


122  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

time  and  diligent  labor.  Second-hand  knowl- 
edge of  Scripture,  like  all  second-hand  knowl- 
edge, is  pretentious  ignorance.  How  shall 
you  prepare  your  son  for  a  counting  house? 
Will  it  suffice  to  provide  him  lecturers  who 
shall  tell  him  about  penmanship  and  book- 
keeping and  figures?  Even  admitting  that 
the  lecturers  proposed  were  the  very  best, 
and  would  teach  approved  principles  only, 
you  would  require  something  far  more  prac- 
tical. The  mind  cannot  be  filled  by  a  force 
pump.  Boys  learn  by  digging  out  princi- 
ples, practicing  penmanship,  keeping  books 
by  single  and  double  entry,  and  working  out 
the  problems  in  fractions  and  interest  and 
proportion  and  mensuration.  And  by  the 
same  practical  law  he  will  grow  wise  in 
Sripture  who  compares  Scripture  with  Scrip- 
ture, analyzing,  arranging,  re-arranging  and 
judging  doctrines  and  opinions  according  to 
his  best  understanding  of  what  God  would 
teach.  Who  does  anything  less  than-this, 
when  he  can  study  the  Bible,  is  guilty  of 
starving  his  own  soul. 

And  still  again,  private  judgment  is  the 
duty  of  every  believer,  since,  as  we  have  be- 
fore   seen   God,  speaks  through   his   Word, 


Private  Judgment.  123 

and  the  message,  reaching  the  believer,  is 
God's  very  own,  the  signification  of  which 
he  must  himself  finally  determine ;  with,  I 
grant,  the  aid  of  all  resources  at  command, 
and  yet  with  his  own  conscience,  in  the  light 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  final  arbiter. 

Lord  Macaulay,  in  one  of  his  essays,  wisely 
remarks:  "There  are  two  intelligible  and 
consistent  courses  which  may  be  followed 
with  respect  to  the  exercise  of  private  judg- 
ment, the  course  of  the  Romanist  who  in- 
terdicts private  judgment  because  of  its  in- 
evitable inconveniences,  and  the  course  of 
the  Protestant,  who  permits  private  judg- 
ment in  spite  of  its  inevitable  inconve- 
niences." 

Lord  Macaulay  admits  no  middle  course. 
There  is  no  middle  course.  It  must  be 
either  conscience  answerable  to  God  or 
else  conscience  answerable,  mediately  or 
immediately,  to  the  priesi".  No  need 
to  annul  the  law  to  betray  it.  Tyrants  can 
tyrannize  under  the  most  republican  of  re- 
publican forms  of  government  by  interpret- 
ing the  laws  at  their  option.  And  the  Bible 
can  be  made  inoperative,  while  it  is  seem- 
ingly honored,    by  men,  who,    usurping  au- 


124  /^^W  Cardinal  Principles. 

thority  in  its  interpretation,  actually  assume 
the  authority  which  belong  to  Scripture 
itself. 

The  Apostles  in  the  lesson  felt  this 
thoroughly.  Why  not  refer  their  heaven- 
sent message  to  the  scrutiny  of  the  Great 
Sanhedrin  ?  These  greybeards  were  wise, 
were  learned,  were  after  some  sort  conscien- 
tious; but  to  have  trusted  their  judgment 
finally  would  have  been  to  obey  men  rather 
than  God. 

It  is  the  same  when  I  bring  my  Bible  to 
any  ecclesiastical  body  and  abide  by  its  dec- 
laration of  the  meaning.  If  I  rest  upon  the 
decision  of  conference,  convention,  synod  or 
council,  and  abide  by  it  when  my  conscience, 
from  the  light  shed  from  the  page  of  the 
Bible,  teaches  me  otherwise,  I  betray  my 
stewardship,  I  obey  men  rather  than  God. 
This  I  cannot  do.  This  you  cannot  do. 
We  must  read  the  Scriptures  for  ourselves, 
in  the  light  of  the  best  helps  which  the  age 
can  furnish,  with  the  counsel  of  the  wisest 
teachers  to  be  obtained  ;  but  after  all  has 
been  said,  duty  compels  the  final  decision  of 
faith  to  rest  with  the  individual  conscience. 


Private  Judgment.  12$ 

In  this  there  can  be  no  option.  "We  must 
obey  God  rather  than  man." 

The  Christian  Church,  which  teaches  the 
right  and  duty  of  private  judgment,  recog- 
nizes that  so  large  a  right  involves  care  and 
discretion  in  its  exercise.  As  a  rule  without 
exceptions,  privilege  multiplies  obligations. 
If  Christ  mercifully  endows  his  disciples  with 
the  blessed  boon  of  Gospel  liberty,  it  is  not 
that  every  man  shall  be  a  law  unto  himself, 
the  Bible  is  the  standard  of  faith  and  prac- 
tice ;  not  that  men  shall  degrade  liberty  to 
license,  the  tenderness  of  Christian  love  is 
still  to  restrain  disorders  ;  not  that  the  peace 
of  the  church  shall  be  endangered,  but  in- 
stead, that  all,  taking  the  same  law,  and 
drawing  nearer  to  God,  may  recognize  their 
common  brotherhood  in  Jesus. 

Exercising  their  right  of  private  judgment, 
therefore,  believers  will  consider  the  unity 
of  Scripture.  God  gives  them  the  Bible  as 
a  whole. 

In  and  through  all  there  must  be  harmony, 
not  confusion ;  agreement,  not  contradic- 
tion. A  true  interpretation  of  God's  Word, 
therefore,  will  not  be  hasty,  but  one  which 
cornpares  book  with  book,  passage  with  pas- 


126  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

sage,  and  so  reaches  what  I  may  term  the 
heart  of  Scripture  rather  than  its  husk,  and 
the  spirit  rather  than  the  letter. 

The  beh'ever  exercising  private  judgment 
will  also  hold  fast  to  the  proportion  of  Scrip- 
ture. Some  truths  God  has  revealed  plainly. 
They  stand  out  on  the  general  background 
of  revelation  like  the  brightest  stars  in  the 
azure  sky.  It  is  safe  for  the  Christian  to 
believe  that  Go-d  has  emphasized  what  He 
desired  to  emphasize,  and  that  it  has  pleased 
Him  to  leave  in  comparative  obscurity  what 
He  reveals  partially.  And  it  is  safe  also  to 
follow  this  scale  of  scriptural  proportion  in 
teaching  and  preaching.  We  can  insist  on 
the  general  acceptance  of  what  God  has 
made  very  plain  in  His  Word  ;  and  if,  beyond 
that,  He  has  made  something  quite  plain  to 
us,  let  it  be  plain  to  us;  but  the  attempt  by 
any  person  to  coerce  the  conscience  of 
others,  where  the  Bible  is  silent,  or  where  its 
expressions  leave  room  for  honest  difference 
of  opinion,  is  to  be  resisted  by  good  Protest- 
ants and  Christians  as  Peter  resisted  the  San- 
hedrin,  and  as  Luther  resisted  the  pope. 

Private  judgment,  however,  should  not  be 


Private  Judgment.  127 

exclusive.  To  be  judgment  it  must  tra- 
verse the  whole  field  that  is  in  debate.  In 
the  broad  sweep  of  questions  and  probabil- 
ities it  will  place  much  stress  on  the  general 
faith  of  Christians.  It  may  at  once  be  con- 
ceded that  individually  they  hold  countless 
errors,  but  if  God  speaks  to  them,  and  if 
they  drink  faith  from  the  pure  fountain  of 
Scripture  revelation,  the  chances  greatly 
favor  that  when  they  are  agreed  they  are 
agreed  upon  the  truth.  A  message  that  con- 
flicts with  the  universal  faith  of  Christendom 
must  not  complain  if  it  is  treated  like  a  sus- 
pected character.  It  may  be  held  with  great 
certainty  of  conviction,  but  that  it  is  unique, 
discordant,  erratic,  seems  to  indicate  that  it 
is  from  the  devil.  When  that  man  at  Po- 
casset  believed  that  God  had  directed  him 
to  sacrifice  his  child,  the  common  sense  of 
his  Christian  neighbors  and  of  the  village 
pastor  would  have  taught  him  that  such  an 
impulse  was  from  beneath,  and  not  from 
above. 

And  furthermore,  private  judgment,  claim- 
ing so  much  for  itself,  will  grant  to  others 
all  that  it  asks.     Private  judgment  knocks  at 


128  Pive  Cardinal  Principles. 

the  door  of  the  local  church.  It  holds  opin- 
ions which  it  has  a  right  to  hold,  gained 
from  independent  investigation  of  the  Bible. 
The  church,  truly  Christian,  breathing  the 
spirit  of  apostolic  charity,  makes  the  Bible 
its  only  rule  of  faith,  and  Christian  character 
its  only  test  of  fellowship.  What  is  the  ac- 
tion of  the  church  regarding  private  judg- 
ment, which  holds  some  opinion  not  gen- 
erally accepted  by  the  membership?  If  it 
is  merely  opinion,  if  private  judgment  is 
really  private,  if  it  is  a  question  of  belief  in 
the  retreat  of  an  earnest  christian's  soul, 
what  has  the  local  church  to  do  with  that  ? 
The  brother  has  listened  to  truth  as  it  has 
come  to  him.  Perhaps  like  Apollos  he  may 
in  time  learn  the  way  of  God  more  perfectly. 
But  if  he  be  truly  Christian,  if  he  respects  in 
others  what  he  requires  for  himself,  in  the 
Christian  Church  Christ  has  set  an  open 
door  which  no  man  shall  shut. 

But  suppose  again  that  private  judgment 
is  not  private  ;  suppose  it  to  be  heedless  of 
others,  demanding  all  rights  and  granting 
none  ;  suppose  it  to  be  noisy,  quarrelsome, 
ferocious  and  inclined    to  force   its  idiosyn- 


Private  Judgment.  1 29 

cracies  in  season  and  out  of  season  ;  at  once 
in  such  case  the  question  is  taken  out  from 
the  simple  investigation  of  private  judgment 
to  the  larger  question  of  the  peace  and  pos- 
sibly of  the  existence  of  the  church.  No 
one  doubts  the  right  of  the  brother  to  his 
convictions,  but  the  church  will  ask  itself 
earnestly  whether  a  quarrelsome  and  pugna- 
cious disposition  is  consistent  with  Christian 
character,  and  further,  if  the  peace  of  the 
church  will  not  be  promoted  by  permitting 
him  to  ventilate  his  bellicose  peculiarities 
elsewhere.  Is  not  the  life  more  than  meat, 
the  body  more  than  raiment,  the  whole 
church  more  than  a  single  man  ?  Is  it  prof- 
itable to  set  the  house  on  fire  so  that  a 
stranger  may  warm  his  fingers?  He  cannot 
ask  it.  Should  he  ask  it  he  should  expect 
refusal,  and  cannot  murmur  so  long  as  it  is 
courteous,  that  it  is  inflexibly  firm. 

This,  then,  is  the  position  of  the  Christian 
Church  in  the  interpretation  of  Scripture; 
declaring  always  that  private  judgment  is 
the  right  and  duty  of  every  believer;  ex- 
pecting in  consequence  that  its  membership 
will  exhibit  diversities  of  opinion,  but  trust- 


1 30  Five  Cardinal  Principles. 

ing  always,  while  the  spirit  of  the  Master  is 
cherished,  and  while  brethren  obey  God 
rather  than  man,  speaking  what  seems  to 
them  truth  in  love,  that  all  will  "grow  up 
into  Him  in  all  things  which  is  the  head, 
even  Christ." 


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